Curiosity
by Robinpoppins
Summary: Post “Hammers and Veils, LL. He knows he should feel very guilty. She knows she shouldn’t feel so safe and secure in his arms. Yet, here they ended up...and they both realize that this doesn't feel bad at all. COMPLETED!
1. I’m Like Pringles, Baby

**Curiosity**

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**Summery: Post "Hammers and Veils," LL. He knows he should feel very guilty. She knows she shouldn't feel so safe and secure in his arms. Yet, here, in the middle of the town square, they ended up, all eyes on them. Allowing the sharp staccato of their uniform heartbeat dictate their waltz, they both realize that _this_ doesn't feel bad at all.**

**Disclaimer: ****Did I tell you about my new shoes? They're called Disclaimers. When I walk, I hear, "Not mine. Not mine. Not mine." And even if I am happy and I'm skipping, I hear "Not-not mine. Not-not mine. Not-not mine."...**You get the gist of it. **Also don't own any song lyrics. Or any snipits of dialogue that may appear. **

**A/N: Hi all! I know that some of you are desperately waiting for an update for my other two stories, but after a series of technical difficulties (I think my laptop committed suicide), that might not happen for awhile longer. And, well, classes have been killer this semester. (Stop that! I can hear you saying, "Excuses, excuses, Robin." Don't make me hold out on writing for 5 more months…Don't think I won't do it!). **

**So, here instead, is a story in four parts that I worked on when I didn't have access to my other stories. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. **

**Oh, and this story is officially dedicated to Christina (Lolabelle26) for a number of reasons. First of all, she's just awesome ;-) Also, she always tries to kick my butt into gear for my other stories (with numerous private messages and not so subtle hints in her reviews/review replies), and without her constant motivation, I would probably be way too distracted by life to write. I know you would rather have an update to SW2EHWOAC (and my keyboard groans every time I type that out), but I hope this is a good alternative. Last, and certainly not least (because this is very important), I needed help, guidance, direction, etc. on this story and she took time from her busy life in order to provide that for me. I bugged her with numerous emails and early drafts and you'll see her input from the title, to the song choices, to the way we decided to end this. Without you, Christina, this story would cease to exist as we know it (was that a little too over the top:lowers hand from forehead: I was going for the epitome of praise there.).**

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**Part 1: ****I'm Like Pringles, Baby (or _I Won't Dance_) **

"I hate to spoil your fun, but I may need to find a restroom soon," Max whispered into his fiancé's fragrant hair as they swayed to the beat of a Sinatra tune. Lorelai slowly lifted her head from her perch on his shoulder and gave him a knowing smile.

"You hit the Founder's Day punch, didn't you?"

"Maybe a little too hard," he admitted, his head spinning from the after-effects of that unusual brew.

"I thought I warned you about Patty's hooch."

"_I _thought you were exaggerating. You tend to do that."

"Never about Founder's punch!" Max shook his head and grinned at the brunette beauty in his arms. In two months, she would officially be his.

"I guess I don't understand why you seem fine and I feel lightheaded. We had the same amount of punch."

"Yeah, well, you're a lightweight." Max chuckled and Lorelai returned her head to his shoulder.

"I wasn't kidding about the bathroom. It's in Miss Patty's studio, right?" Lorelai whipped her head up in full pout mode. _Oh boy_.

"Maa-ax, I wanna dance," she whined, jetting out her lower lip to reinforce her point. Normally, it would have been too hard to resist her big, sad eyes, but his desperate need to take a leak consumed all of his thought processes.

"And we will dance…after I find a bathroom."

"But, I'm like Pringles, baby." Max's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "You know, once I pop, the dancin' don't stop-"

"Lorelai," he sighed.

"-And if I stop, I won't want to dance anymore, which basically means the night will be over. This is my night, and I don't want it to be over yet, and I wanna dance," Lorelai declared like an exuberant three-year-old.

"You mean _our _night."

"No, it's basically my night, but you being here is an added perk. Must I reiterate the queen and court jester speech?"

"No, I caught that one the first time around." Max began to pull away, but Lorelai sunk her nails into him and clung hard.

"Don't go," she said sweetly.

"I must. Two minutes," Max practically begged.

"I wanna dance," Lorelai repeated for the third time, as childish as ever. Max wished he could say he was used to her crazy moods, but a dance-crazed, whiny, and slightly buzzed Lorelai was beyond his comprehension at the moment. It was just another aspect of Lorelai's vibrant personality he would have to get used to once they were married.

_Married_. That brought another smile to Max's face. He, a bookish, intelligent, and once confirmed bachelor was getting married. Getting married to the most beautiful, stunning, and sexy woman he had ever laid eyes on. To top it off, he was getting a terrific step-daughter in the packaged deal. Nothing could have knocked Max off his cloud. He was truly happy.

"Dance with someone else," he suggested with a laugh, "Kirk looks lonely without his megaphone."

"The fact that you find that funny disturbs me."

"Lorelai, please." He could hardly take it anymore. _Founder's punch? Never again._

"Ugh, fine, you big baby. Hurry back." Max leaned in and placed a chaste peck on Lorelai's lips.

"I'll be right back," came his whispered promise, and with that, Lorelai was left alone on the dance floor.

Dance with someone else, huh? Like who? Max was still unaware of the lack of acceptable dance partners in this town. Why did he think it was so hard for her to find a partner for the dance marathon every year?

Lorelai took the opportunity to scan the crowd in order to find some eligible bachelor to be Fred to her Ginger. She wanted to dance and by gum, she was going to dance. This was her night, after all.

She spied Rory across the square. Lorelai pondered the possible mother-daughter cuteness that a dance the two of them shared would elicit. However, Rory was cozily resting her head on Dean's shoulder and looking quite content. That sent Dance Partner Bachelorette Number 1 out of the picture. Dean was too tall and too young to be her Bachelor Number 2. Michel was spotted shaking his thing off to the side, martini in hand. He would probably want to shimmy to a fast number, and all she wanted to do was slowly waltz to a melodic rhythm. No to Bachelor Number 3. Jackson was already dancing with Sookie, and they just looked too darn cute to break up. Bachelor Number 4 was officially crossed off her list.

Taking another quick scan of the rest of the attendees, she felt her heart inexplicably skip a beat as she spotted a very familiar face sitting next to four mini-brides on a bench. Luke was a very viable option for Bachelor Number 5. Not only was he here and unattached, he had nothing better to do.

Lorelai was a little surprised that he was still at her party. Luke was a hermit. Luke didn't leave the diner after dark. Luke hated parties. Luke hated swarms of people. Luke hated town events. Luke hated pretty much everything about her little shindig. Yet, there he was, sitting on a bench near the dance floor. He was hunched over, simply staring at his hands. Lorelai couldn't shake the idea that he only reason he was here was because of her. It made her feel warm inside. Luke cared about her and their friendship enough to forget his ranting ways and help her celebrate on _her _night. Not that she ever doubted him, but it felt good to see him there all the same.

Determined, Lorelai weaved her way through the dancing couples and made her way to Luke with dancing on the brain.

* * *

_I'm just staring at my hands, _Luke thought to himself, suddenly finding a freckle on the second knuckle of his left hand fascinating. It was better that he kept his eyes in one place. _They _were dancing. 

He had reluctantly left the solace of his diner because Lorelai had asked him to. She said it would mean a lot to her. She said it wouldn't feel right if he didn't make an appearance. How could he say no? Lorelai's eyes pleaded with him in her Lorelai way and he knew he couldn't let her down. That's why he was here. For her.

Then again, he couldn't tell her the real reason why he was hiding. Yes, Lorelai saw right through the lame ketchup bottle excuse, but she wouldn't be able to handle his real reason for avoiding her tonight. It would screw with their dynamic. A dynamic that Luke was pretty comfortable with. Damn that Rachel for putting all these inappropriate thoughts in his head. He was fine before she said anything. He liked his relationship with Lorelai back then. Maybe he was in denial, but it suited him. There was banter, a little bit of flirting, and a particular closeness that he had never experienced with another woman. But, that had been thrown to the wayside when Rachel left. Her parting blow of, "Don't wait too long to tell her," was reverberating loudly in his head with each passing second. It was slowly driving Luke insane. Since then, he noticed how beautiful Lorelai looked when she sipped her coffee in the morning. How she consumed his thoughts most the day. How light and comfortable he felt around her. How much he wanted to hold her in his arms. How much he wanted to walk up to her in the diner and throw all his built-up passion into a lingering kiss. How sexually frustrated he felt when she teased him or lightly brushed her fingers across his arm.

_Jeez. _This was crazy.

Luke never had thoughts like these about Lorelai before. He never spent the moments before he fell asleep pining for the presence of the woman he considered to be his best friend before. A woman he couldn't have now, even if he wanted to. This wasn't like Luke. He felt lightheaded and intoxicated by Lorelai thoughts. It wasn't right. He shouldn't be thinking about her like that. She was his friend. She didn't belong to Luke. She was engaged to _him_.

_Dammit, Rachel! _

He still came to the party. Why? He wasn't sure himself. He blamed it on how sad and sincere Lorelai looked when she came into the diner. Walking into the town square and seeing Lorelai dancing in _his _arms was almost too much for him to take, though. Talk about knife in the gut. It was bad enough knowing they were engaged, but seeing them dancing, looking happy, and, dare he say, in love, was illusion shattering. Lorelai would never want a reclusive, health-food loving, diner-owning, coffee-pouring schlub like him. _He _was smart in ways that Luke would never be. _He _could probably give more to Lorelai than Luke ever could. It was gut wrenching. He felt as if acupuncture needles were being stuck into his chest every millisecond he continued to watch the woman he couldn't help but want.

Then, she looked up at him from Max's shoulder, recognition and relief flashing in her stunning blue eyes. All Luke could bring himself to do was give her a half-smile and a wave. He watched her face light up as a result of his arrival, and just for a moment, Luke forgot about all the jealous contemplations that fogged his brain. He forgot that she wasn't his. He forgot that she probably didn't feel the same way about him. He forgot that he shouldn't be thinking about a friend like this. All that Luke could process was that Lorelai was glad to see him.

Reality set in as Luke took a seat on the bench. All his anti-Max deliberations came rushing back like a flash flood. How could he make _him_ disappear and make it look like an accident? _Are you insane, Danes? _

_Jeez, I'm being moronic. _

She's happy with _him_, right? That's all Luke really wanted. He had made her happy by showing up and he truly wanted her to be happy with _him_.

Luke tore his eyes away from the happy couple. He wasn't sure how many more needles in the chest he could handle before he suffocated. So, he just stared at his hands. He wasn't sure how long he had been studying them or how idiotic he must have looked, but it was a welcome distraction. It even kept him unaware that Lorelai was on a mission and headed right for him.

* * *

As Lorelai took the final steps to him, she realized that Luke was deep in thought and probably had no idea that she was standing in front of him. She smiled to herself. Luke was very focused when he wanted to be. His strange little quirks amused her. 

"Dirty nails?" she mused after standing at his side for an entire twenty-two Mississippis. Luke jumped and quickly jerked his head up.

"Jeez!" he let out, taking in a sharp breath of surprise. Lorelai couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"Sorry," Lorelai said with a shrug, "You looked like you were in the zone."

"Call me Randy Johnson, then," he quipped, as he shifted uncomfortably on the bench. This didn't go unnoticed by Lorelai and she was suddenly very curious about Luke's mood.

"What's up, Rand?" What was going through that baseball-capped head of his? He was unusually quiet towards her and she still didn't understand why he avoided the party most of the night.

"Nothing…just thinking," Luke stated and hoped Lorelai left it at that. He didn't want to explain. He could hardly decipher some of his testosterone-driven thoughts himself.

"Obviously so. I was here twenty-two seconds before you even noticed me."

"You counted?" he asked, feeling the corners of his mouth twitch up. He liked her little quirks. She wouldn't be Lorelai without them. Lorelai nodded.

"Mississippily," she remarked. Luke just shook his head. He probably didn't want to know what she was talking about.

Silence lingered for a few seconds. Lorelai shifted her weight from one foot to the other, still trying to decide if these heels were a good idea for tonight. Luke, on the other hand, adjusted his cap. She decided to break the silence, the abnormal halt of their banter made her nervous.

"Luke," she began, noting a waver in her voice. When had she gotten this anxious? Was his mood rubbing off on her? "Uh, thanks for coming. It…it really meant a lot to me. I-I really wanted you here and when you weren't, it just didn't feel right."

Luke didn't know how to respond to her heartfelt appreciation. He now knew that he was right in thinking that Lorelai was happy to see him at the party. Part of him wanted to stand up, dip her back and have his way with her. His more sensible side wanted to bolt back to the safety of his apartment. Luke felt safest resting between the two extremes of his personality. That's where Friend Luke resided. Friend Luke looked out for Lorelai's feelings first. Friend Luke wasn't given to these embarrassingly sexual thoughts. Friend Luke was the dependable guy she knew best. He just had to ignore the emotions that Rachel's departure had stirred up in him and continue to be Friend Luke. "You're welcome. Things suddenly slowed down at the diner," he finally retorted. Lorelai laughed brightly and Luke felt better.

The jazzy chords of a new song floated in the cool summer air and Lorelai got that glint in her eye that usually meant she had a crazy idea.

"You wanna dance?" Lorelai asked expectantly. Luke definitely wasn't anticipating that. Dancing with Lorelai could potentially be a very bad idea. Did Lorelai have any idea what she was doing to him recently?

"I don't dance," seemed to be the appropriate Friend Luke response. He was lying, of course. Luke was actually a decent dancer, but Lorelai didn't need to know that.

"Come on, I don't believe that for a second," she said as she slid into the empty space next to him.

"I don't dance," he repeated with a little more force.

"Please."

"Where's _Max_?" Luke redirected. Avoiding the subject entirely seemed to be the best option. With his crazy Lorelai thoughts of late, he was a little afraid of what might happen if he was too close to her.

_Dammit, Rachel! _

"Bathroom. Founder's punch finally got to him."

"Didn't you warn him about that?"

"He didn't believe me. He said I tend to exaggerate."

"Yes, you do," Luke said with a smirk. Was he flirting with her? _Jeez_. Lorelai playfully elbowed him in mock offense. He rubbed the spot of contact, pretending like she had hurt him. Lorelai grinned at him, and then placed her hand lightly on his arm.

"Please Luke."

"Lorelai, I-No, I don't dance."

"Lucas," she groaned, sticking her lip out like she did for Max.

"Don't call me that," he responded gruffly, making her want to irritate him all the more.

"But, it's my party and I want to dance."

"Then dance."

"But, I want to dance with someone."

"Ask Kirk."

"I don't know why both you and Max suggested that."

"He'd probably say yes."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Luke chuckled lightly. He again contemplated the possible ramifications of dancing with Lorelai. It would appease her if he said yes, but holding her so close could only serve to drive him nuts. Why did Rachel have to make things so difficult for him now?

Still…what's one dance?

"Please, Luke. Please, please, please dance with me." Her soft pleading voice and big blue eyes finally did him in. He sighed, now defeated by her charms. Luke stood up and turned toward Lorelai, her eyes watching his every move intently. Rolling his eyes, he held out his hand to her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked dryly. Lorelai's face immediately lit up and she wrinkled her nose in that way Luke always found irresistible.

What was he getting himself into?

"Yea!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands. She used his outstretched arm to help herself off the bench, and then allowed Luke to lead her to the center of the dance floor.

* * *

**A/N: Well, what do you think? Sucks? Terrific? Needs work? Continue? Send this story to the recycle bin? You tell me in the form of reviews. That's the only way I can improve, guys, and I can't read minds. I'm not the type of person who is going to hold out on the story if I don't get a certain amount of reviews, but I would truly, madly, and deeply (hmm, remind you of a song? Whoa, junior high flashback!) would love you if you dropped me a line. And, seeing how much I ramble in my author notes, you can tell that long reviews are greatly desired and appreciated. **

**So, if you've read some of my other stories, you may be thinking, "That's certainly not how you normally write Luke, Robin." Yes, that's true. I went for a totally different side of Luke for this story that I normally don't touch upon. I like to call him 'Pining Luke.' So, before you drop notes that say that things are a little OOC (and I'm not arguing. My characterizations will never be perfect.), here's why I did this: I think the time period of this story calls for a little veer from the norm. I am generally under the impression that pre-end-of-Season-4 Luke always knew that he had a little crush on Lorelai, but was deep in denial about the true extent of his feelings (until _Luke Cane See Her Face_, that is). But, I think that in this particular point in the GG plot, Luke is having some sort of emotional upheaval. I mean, look how he reacted in every Max-related situation after the engagement was announced. Rachel has left him because she knows he has feelings for Lorelai, and then tells him to do something about it. That gave him a lot to think about. Does he really feel that way? And, we all know how long it takes Luke to process things (well, apparently all of us except for Lorelai…growl). So he goes to Lorelai's house, and it seems like he might actually confess his true feelings. But, who is he interrupted by? That's right, Max Medina. Maaaax Medina (I'm hearing his message to Lorelai in my head right now. I know its supposed to be cute and sweet and all, but his message always hurls me into a fit of giggles. Don't know why). Then, Luke makes a fool of himself by childishly bickering with Lorelai's boyfriend. Before he even has a chance to comment about his feelings, Lorelai is engaged. Engaged! Poor Luke. So, I see him having all these unresolved thoughts and feelings as a result. He can't stop thinking about her. He may even be more attracted to her. And, deep down, he knows it's wrong to think about her in that way because she is taken, but he can't wrap his mind around the whole thing. He's still in denial about Lorelai getting married. I believe Luke is very tormented at this time on the show so I tried to reflect that in my story. Do you agree? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.**

**One more thing before you start throwing rotten tomatoes at me, or whatever you crazy kids throw at rambling writers these days. The inspiration for this story came from my uncle, who always felt sorry for Luke as he watched Lorelai and Max dance at the party. I believe he said, "That was unusually cruel of Lorelai." So, Uncle Cecil, here's a little Luke-friendly twist just for you. **

**Next Chapter (if you want me to continue): ****"Fred Astaire Said it Best (or _You're Easy to Dance With_)"**- Luke and Lorelai dance, and someone (maybe more than one person) is watching very intently. Any guesses? 


	2. Fred Astaire Said it Best

**A/N: Raise your hand if you are sick of Christopher!**

**Yeah, both hands, both feet, and an eyebrow are up on that one (yep, I got mad skills). **

**Although, 'sick of' is a bit of an understatement, don't you think? Okay, more like the understatement of the century...but, you catch my drift. **

**Reviewers, you are absolutely fantabulous! Beyond fantabulous! I don't know what I would do without you. **

**This chapter is officially dedicated to Crazy Carrie (of shameless flirting with Luke, and multiple make-out sessions fame). I'll explain at the end… **

**Disclaimer: I borrowed and adapted some dialogue from 4.21 and inserted some lyrics (Ella Fitzgerald's "Love is Here to Stay," and Holly Brook's "Curious")**

**Enjoy this installment!**

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**Part 2: Fred Astaire Said it Best (or _You're Easy to Dance With_)**

One-two-three-four

One-two-three-four

Luke inwardly analyzed the beat of the music as he scanned the sea of couples for an empty spot on the floor. Lorelai was behind him, and surprisingly, still had her hand clasped in his. It had been awhile since he had last danced, and Luke was desperately trying to remember the appropriate steps. It wasn't that he didn't know; Lorelai's touch was just unnerving.

_What the hell am I doing?_

"Right there," he heard her say, and sure enough, there was a space close to the other end of the dance floor. The quick jaunt felt like forever to Luke. All he could think about was her damn hand in his. This was stupid. They were just going to dance. As friends. It meant nothing. She loved _him_.

Now at a stop, Luke wasn't sure what to do next. Drop her hand? Bring her toward him? Where should he put his hands? What was considered a good distance between them? What if he did something wrong? What if he stepped on her foot? What if she read too much into something he did? He hadn't realized it, but his heart had sped up and was now thundering against his rib cage. Luke sucked in a breath.

_This is a bad idea._

Lorelai came around to his left side and shot Luke one her infectious grins. He replied with a nervous smirk. This was it. Moment of truth. _It's just a dance, _he reminded himself. Luke felt like he was thirteen again and that was not a good age to feel.

Luke decided to just suck it up. He was a big boy. He could do this.

He brought Lorelai to stand in front of him, and then dropped her left hand. Lorelai watched his every move intently, her thoughts mirroring Luke's from moments before. How should she stand? Where should she put her hands? What if he was a bad dancer? What if she stepped on his foot?

Luke reached for her right hand, and after a moment's hesitation, Lorelai put it in his left. His right hand looped around rested on the small of her back. Her left hand found its way to his shoulder.

One-two-three-four

Luke nodded his head once, as if to assure himself, and then took the first step. Lorelai immediately responded with the appropriate retaliation. Step two. Step three. Luke stopped counting, now letting the music dictate his feet.

One-two-three-four

They were a good distance apart. Not too close. Not too far. The awkwardness that engulfed the initial few steps quickly vanished as the two friends eased into a pattern. Luke became more confident as he led, which pleasantly astonished Lorelai. Luke could dance. Luke could dance _well_. She studied his face as they moved in sync with he beat. His chin was pointed down to look at his feet and his forehead was wrinkled in concentration. Luke's eyebrows were scrunched down and his jaw was set. But, now that they moved comfortably, his expression softened and he met her gaze for the first time. She gave him a lopsided smile and raised her eyebrows in a teasing manner.

"What?" he asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Nothing…just you."

"What about me?"

"_You _can dance."

"Yes, I can," Lorelai let out a laugh and bit her lip.

_God, why does she have to be so beautiful? _

"So, why did you say that you couldn't dance when clearly you are quite capable?"

"I never said that I couldn't."

"You said, and I quote, 'I don't dance.'" Lorelai stated, utilizing her best Luke voice. Luke scowled back.

"Well, I'm a compulsive liar," he said, suddenly feeling playful. Lorelai wrinkled her nose for the second time that night and for lack of a better response, he returned with a shy smile.

Yeah, it definitely felt good to hold her.

Looking into her eyes as they danced, Luke desperately tried to find something repulsive about her. Something that would ease his Lorelai torment. A flaw in her face. A lazy eye. An odd mole. Bushy eyebrows. A noticeable scar. Something. Anything. But, he found none, and being this close to her without being able to do anything was almost pure hell.

Except that he was in heaven. _Stop it! She's taken. She is just your friend._

_**But, oh my dear, our love is here to stay.**_

_**Together we're going a long, long way.**_

"I like this song," Lorelai said, breaking the silence. They had fallen into an effortless pattern of stepping, swaying, and turning. She felt at ease, like it was something she and Luke did all the time. It was…nice.

Luke forced himself to listen to the words, instead of the woman in front of him. He recognized the voice. "Ella Fitzgerald, right?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said, elongating the word with a high inflection. She was not trying to hide the disbelief from her face.

"I know things," was Luke's defensive response.

"Oh, I never doubted you." Luke expressed amusement at Lorelai's obvious fib.

Was it his imagination, or was she moving in closer?

_**In time the Rockies may crumble**_

_**Gibraltar may tumble.**_

_**They're only made of clay**_

"I must say that I am impressed, Mr. Danes. Who knew a hoofer was buried under all this flannel."

"I try to keep a few tricks up my sleeve. Makes me seem spontaneous." Lorelai snorted, and turned her head in embarrassment. Was he always this light and funny?

_**But, our love is here to stay.**_

"Seriously, did you take lessons?"

"It's all a God-given talent." Luke was shocked at himself, to say the least. Was this breezy banter really coming out of his mouth? His insides felt as jittery as hell, yet his quips flowed out like molasses. Whatever he was doing, it was obviously working. He was entertaining Lorelai and she looked content. He found that he was actually starting to enjoy himself.

_**It's here to stay.**_

In regards to his last comment, Lorelai gave him a look that almost said, 'yeah right!'

"Would you believe me if I said I took lessons from a school Gene Kelly established?"

"Yeah, and Johnny Castle taught me the mambo," she spat out, words laced with sarcasm. Lorelai wasn't used to this playful and, dare she say, cheerful side of Luke. It was a nice change from the grumpy norm.

"My mom," Luke said softly, finally disclosing his secret. Lorelai leaned in closer to hear him. Luke took a chance and directed his lips close to her ear. "She taught me how to dance."

_**It's here to stay.**_

Lorelai wasn't sure if it was the sincerity of his comment or the way he whispered so close to her ear, but she felt a chill shoot down her spine. Luke pulled away slightly and gave her a concerned look. God, he didn't feel her shake, did he? What must he be thinking? Why did her hand and back suddenly feel warm from his touch?

"Your mom, uh, s-she should be proud. You certainly know a way to a girl's heart." _Crap! Did I seriously just say that? _It was definitely an 'open mouth, insert foot,' moment. Luke didn't say anything, but continued to guide her.

_**It's here to stay.**_

The music stopped. The song was over.

* * *

Little did Luke and Lorelai know, they were being watched. 

Babette nearly had a heart-attack when she spotted Luke holding Lorelai's hand, leading her to an open spot on the dance floor. At first she rubbed her eyes. Maybe she was seeing things. Maybe the punch was catching up with her.

No, they were still in front of her.

Perhaps she was dreaming. She pinched herself hard on the arm. Wincing from pain, she realized that she had not woken up, so she was not asleep to begin with. Luke had just put his arm around her. Lorelai had just placed her hand on his shoulder. Babette closely observed them as waltzed to the beat. Luke could dance. Who would've thought?

Babette took a sip of her punch, but that was obviously a mistake. Lorelai leaned in a little closer to Luke and she spewed the contents of her mouth all over unsuspecting Kirk.

"Hey!" the scrawny man cried.

"You okay, baby?" Morey asked from her right.

"Oh my God!" her raspy voice squealed. "Are you seein' what I'm seein'?" she asked, nudging her husband in the ribs with her elbow.

"What?" piped up Kirk, momentarily forgetting that he was all wet. Mother would not be pleased if she was here.

"Luke and Lorelai are dancin'!" Both men followed Babette's gaze.

"Would you look at that? Very cool," said Morey.

Patty! She had to find Patty!

Frantic, Babette ran as fast as her small legs would carry her and she found Patty near the gazebo. Without any explanation, Babette grabbed her arm and dragged her good friend to a prime Luke and Lorelai viewing spot.

"Oh my," said Miss Patty, "My, my, my."

"Are you seein' this, doll?"

"Yes, I am. Don't _they_ look cozy?"

_**It's here to stay.**_

Both women were familiar with this particular Ella tune and knew it would soon be ending. Not ready to see the end of their dancing, Babette started to panic.

"Honey, the song is almost over," Patty stated.

"They'll stop dancin'. We gotta do somethin'." Miss Patty lowered her eyebrows.

"Slower song. We need a slower song."

Not another word was spoken as they rushed over to Andrew, who had taken Lane's place as DJ.

"What's going on?" he asked in utter confusion.

"Play a slower song next," Miss Patty commanded, slightly out of breath from her jaunt.

"I already have the next song cued. Lane gave me a strict list to follow."

_**It's here to stay.**_

"Outta my way," Babette battle-cried, and she nearly shoved Andrew out of the chair. The two women began to frantically pour over the piles of CDs in front of them.

"Sinatra?" asked Patty.

"No. Blossom Dearie?"

"Not slow enough. Dino?"

"I've got it!" Babette screamed triumphantly. She held out the CD to Patty. "It's perfect."

"Put it in, Babette. Put it in!"

_**It's here to stay.**_

The song ended.

Silence.

Babette cued up the song and soon the soft tinkling of a solo piano filled the air.

Babette dug her nails into Patty's arm.

"Honey, this is much slower," Patty said in approval, "It's perfect."

Lorelai turned around, ready to walk away. Shocking all three women, Luke reached out and lightly grabbed Lorelai's arm. She turned back around fast, looking confused. Luke said something they couldn't hear. Lorelai smiled, and then nodded.

He placed his hand on the small of her back again.

She placed her hand in his again.

They began to sway once again.

"Oh my God," whispered Babette, her excitement evident. Patty nodded.

"It worked."

In the midst of all the commotion, Babette and Miss Patty momentarily forgot that they were guests at _Max_ and Lorelai's engagement party.

* * *

The square now engulfed in silence, Lorelai was unsure of what to do next. For all intents and purposes, her dance with Luke officially over. The music had stopped. Some couples were starting to leave the dance floor. 

It had been short. Maybe a little too short. They hadn't even started dancing until halfway through the song. Dancing with Luke had been astonishingly pleasant and it seemed like time had passed too quickly. The age old adage of "time flies fast when you're having fun," suddenly flashed in her mind. Yeah, maybe there really was some truth to that statement.

Could she ask him again?

Noooo, that would be weird, right? Luke wouldn't want to dance with her again. Lorelai practically had to drag him off the bench the first time. Luke avoided any situation that had the potential for embarrassment or humiliation and he had been pushing it by leading her out to the dance floor the first time.

Still…a part of Lorelai really wanted to ask him again. Ask him to dance with _her_ again.

She knew that the song was over. She realized that she should be looking for Max. She recognized the fact that this was her party and she should be mingling with the other guests. She was acutely aware that the soft plinking of a solo piano now replaced the silence in the square.

**_Someone tell me what to do  
I feel like I must be a fool_**

Conflicted, Lorelai let go of Luke's hand and slowly dropped the other hand from his shoulder. Luke immediately responded by stepping away from her. An unspoken code. If it wasn't clear before, it certainly was flashing in neon now. The dance was over.

Did Luke look as reluctant as she felt? Or was she just imagining things?

She should really go find Max.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lorelai turned her back on her flannel-adorned friend.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a rough hand lightly grasp her wrist. Stunned, Lorelai whipped around as fast as her heels would allow and found herself once again face-to-face with her burger flipper and former dance partner. Luke clearly looked baffled by his action, wide eyes staring holes into the hand that clutched her wrist. If Luke was shocked, then she was officially floored. What the hell was going on? She certainly hadn't been expecting this.

_**For ending up right back at the start**_

Lorelai told her now thundering heart to chill and responded the only way her brain could dictate:

"Luke?"

_**The things that we don't comprehend  
Are laughing at my mind again  
**_

_What did I just do? What the hell did I just do?_

Luke inwardly chastised himself, still mutely staring at his hand. Her wrist in his hand. Her slender wrist in his big hand. Her soft wrist in his calloused hand…

Man, it felt nice.

"Luke?" he heard her orate again, looking just about as stunned as he felt.

Explanation. He needed an explanation. Something. Anything!

He couldn't just tell her that he didn't want to stop dancing with her. That he enjoyed the way she felt in his arms. That she smelled incredible. That she looked beautiful in the moonlight. No, that would definitely be a daft move on his part. It would, once again, screw with their dynamic.

But, jeez, he had to say something…

"That didn't count," he heard himself blurt out.

If his hand wasn't still holding onto Lorelai's wrist, he would have smacked himself in the forehead. Dumb. Very dumb. _Nice going, Danes, _his taunting thoughts sarcastically jabbed. Luke finally let go of her wrist, and did the one thing that brought him solace in the most uncomfortable situations: adjusted his ball cap. Lorelai's eyebrows scrunched down in utter confusion as Luke racked his brain for something else to say.

_**I think that I think too hard**_

"I…jeez…I-uh," _Yeah, this is going swell, _"Hell…Do you want to-" But, Luke was interrupted in his awkward sputtering by Lorelai's smile and nod.

"Really?"

"Oh, I-You don't have to…You could just, uh-"

"Dance, burger boy?"

Once again, Luke was completely bewildered by Lorelai's positive reaction. All he could do was smile back.

**_And I don't give enough credit to my heart  
_**

Not another word was said as Lorelai reached for his hand. Luke, as joyfully as his reputation would allow, appropriately responded, putting his arm on her lower back. They easily began to sway again.

**_I am so  
Damn curious to know_**

So, here they were. Dancing. Luke and Lorelai. Dancing in the middle of town for everyone to see…and talk about.

For once, Luke didn't care if the town was talking about him. Let them talk! It's not like he hadn't heard what people had whispered about Lorelai and him before. Sure, he was hermit. He didn't leave the diner often. But, he knew what they said. He knew they suspected that he had a _thing _for Lorelai. He was aware that there were rumors circulating about Rachel's departure. He noticed that the town had been watching his every move since he found out Lorelai was engaged. Waiting for him to crack. Waiting for him to make a move, for once. Waiting for him to challenge Max to a duel (Kirk's personal favorite idea). Luke knew all this, and while he normally ranted about the damn busybodies in this town, he never said anything to the contrary. He never publicly denied his feelings for Lorelai. He never explained why Rachel left. He never exploded about how hurt he had been to hear of the engagement. He was just Luke. If he couldn't explain these things to Lorelai, how could he possibly tell a bunch a people he didn't always like?

Maybe this dance could be the silencer. Proof that he was okay with Lorelai getting married. Evidence that he would always remain her friend, no matter what place she held in his heart.

The thing is, Luke would always be curious. He would always wonder about all the possibilities. The 'what ifs' had the potential to plague him until he could give his heart to another woman.

What would have happened if she came in for coffee, instead of taking that long walk in the snow, the night he first saw her kiss _him_?

What if he had asked her out the night of her disastrous double date, instead of chickening out?

What would have happened if he had kissed her behind the counter that night?

What would have happened if he had gotten out Rachel's real reason for leaving before Max had walked through the door? Would Lorelai have gotten engaged the next day?

What would she have done if he had told her what he really felt about her getting engaged?

_**And there are too  
Many unanswered questions  
Then we hold on to  
**_

"Pretty song," Lorelai said softly, noting that Luke was deep in thought.

"Uh, yeah," Luke muttered lamely, once again attempting to think of anything else but the beautiful woman in front of him. _Damn spell_. "Slow."

Lorelai took the opportunity to look around at the couples surrounding them. The song was relatively slow, hardly allowing any dance steps. Other couples held each other close as they leisurely swayed. The distance between Luke and herself seemed out of place for this particular song.

"Hey," Lorelai said, trying to get Luke's attention. He responded by looking her in the eye. She dropped his hand and Luke's eyebrows immediately scrunched down in confusion. Lorelai quickly grabbed Luke's wrist and guided his left to her back, where it joined his other hand. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck. It was a very different position for them. They were much closer, Lorelai noted, but they blended in with the other couples. They no longer looked awkward in comparison.

_**I've put my theories to the test  
You know I've tried to do my best**_

"Lorelai-" he began, still clearly puzzled by what she was doing. He sucked in a ragged breath, trying not to think about how close they were. How they must've looked to anyone watching. He took in another breath, this time catching a whiff of her perfume, and almost came unglued.

_What the hell is wrong with me? _

_**But maybe we weren't meant to strike gold **_

"It's a slow song," Lorelai reminded Luke, "We looked weird compared to everyone else."

"Oh…okay." So, Luke just held her, trying to ignore how well they fit together. Trying to disregard the fact that his heart with pounding and he could feel beads of sweat collect under the rim of his hat. Overlooking the fact that he never wanted to kiss her more.

_Get a grip, Danes! _

_**Sometimes things that you ignore  
Are all the things I'm looking for**_

Yeah, lyrics never rang so true for Luke. Everything he wanted at the moment was right in front of him and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. And, Lorelai was completely oblivious to all of it.

_Dammit, Rachel! Why can't I just let go of this?_

_**Will I learn to let go**_

_Okay, now that's just creepy…_

"This is nice, huh?" Lorelai asked, knocking Luke out of his clouded thoughts. Luke grunted and tried to avoid eye-contact. "Oh, come on, Mel Cooley. Admit it, you're having fun now."

"Yeah…I guess." _She has no idea. No freakin' idea. _

"If I had known you were a regular Fred Astaire, I would've dragged you out to dance at a festival a long time ago. I love to dance."

"Which could be the very reason that I never told anyone." Lorelai laughed again.

"Ah, lighten up, Lucas. It's a party. My party."

"Yeah, your party."

**_Give into love and listen to my soul_**

"You, uh…You look really…nice tonight," Luke managed to get out, unsure where that compliment had come from.

Lorelai immediately felt her face flush and she dipped her chin to avoid looking at him. When had a comment from Luke ever affected her like this? Sure, Luke had the capacity of saying incredibly nice things. But, man, when did she ever have chills in response? Was it the proximity, or the music, or the dancing? Maybe the twinkle lights.

Yeah, gotta be the twinkle lights.

"Yeah? Nice how?" Lorelai quipped, with her head still bent. She looked up just in time to catch Luke roll his eyes, the annoyed expression returning.

"Can't you just take a compliment?"

"I never take them easily. I gather them. I store them. I bathe in them. They're good ego boosters."

"Not that you ever need one," Luke murmured. Instead of her face contorting in offense, Lorelai just smiled. That million-dollar smile that made his lips curve up in return. Luke just couldn't escape it. She had that effect on him. ****

I am so  
Damn curious to know

Luke knew he should feel guilty. Very guilty. There he was, standing in the middle of town, holding another man's fiancé. Relishing the way the curves of her back felt. Smiling as he looked at her beautiful face. Shamelessly flirting with her like there was no tomorrow. But, he just couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for what he was doing. As far as Luke knew, there was no tomorrow for Lorelai and him. So, he would soak these moments up and push them to the back of his mind until he was able to completely forget about her.

_**And there are too  
Many unanswered questions**_

There was a sharp contrast between dancing with Max and dancing with Luke. For as smart as Max was, he wasn't as comfortable with the steps as Luke was. He didn't banter with her like Luke did. Sure, Luke was pretending to be annoyed, but deep down, Lorelai knew he was enjoying himself. Their friendship always had a level of comfort that Lorelai didn't know how to describe. Maybe that was the vibe Max had picked up on when he first met Luke. Whatever it was, there something nice about dancing with Luke. Something relaxed. Something…safe. Yeah, that's what it was. Lorelai felt safe right now. She knew she shouldn't. She wondered why she didn't feel this when she was dancing with Max. But, Luke had always been there for her and Rory. Luke had always cooked their meals. Luke had always fixed their broken appliances. Luke was willing to drop everything at the drop of a hat to help her find a lost chick or take her to the hospital. And, at that moment, Lorelai realized that she liked this feeling.

_**That we hold on to **_

Lost in their thoughts, the steps came naturally. Both not wanting to admit that they were enjoying each other's company. Both not willing to confess that they were thinking about each other. Letting the sharp staccato of their uniform heartbeat dictate their dance, they both realize that this doesn't feel bad at all.

* * *

Gypsy sat on the gazebo, simply watching the antics of the townies around her. After dealing with idiots who thought they knew more about cars than she did all day, this party in the square was exactly what she needed. She allowed the positively lethal effects of the Founder's Punch cloud her brain, as she propped her legs up on one of Taylor's benches. Yeah, that would piss him off. She liked having that power. 

A few minutes later, Andrew stumbled over to her people-watching haven, looking clearly distraught. He plopped down on the bench where her feet rested and gave her the biggest puppy-dog eyes she had ever seen. Gypsy sighed. She knew better than to ask people about their problems, but her brain was clearly fogged with Patty's brew and she wasn't thinking straight.

"Why the long face? "

"Oh, it's nothing," the bookshop owner dramatically orated, slightly jetting out his lower lip to pout. Gypsy shook her head. She wasn't patient enough to deal with this beating around the bush crap.

"You're butt-hurt about Babette kicking you out of the DJ chair, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"I see all, Andrew."

"It just happened, like, two minutes ago!"

"I see all," she repeated, pointing to her right eye. Andrew sighed and slouched, hanging his head.

"Babette pushed me."

"I'm sure she didn't mean it," Gypsy dryly retorted. When did she become the town Lucy Van Pelt, with a cardboard stand and a sign advertising psychiatric help? Of course, she wasn't as stupid as the cartoon. She would've charged a hell of a lot more than 5 cents.

"I tried to tell her that I was just following Lane's list, but she didn't listen. Now, Lane's going to yell at me when she comes home from Korea."

"Jeez, buck up, man!" Gypsy grumbled, now annoyed by meek Andrew's lamenting.

"What?" asked the baffled Andrew.

"I know I'm a mechanic, but I don't like feeling manlier than the people around me. Be a man, Andrew! If you don't like being pushed around by Babette, do something about it. Get your job back! Demand that you need to follow Lane's list. Push her out of the chair! But, don't just sit here crying to me. I may be a woman, but I ain't your mother." Andrew nodded solemnly with wide-eyes. Gypsy was right; he hated being pushed around by the busy-bodies in town. He needed to do something about it.

"Thanks," he graciously offered to Gypsy. As he looked up to her sitting on the gazebo, he suddenly saw her in a different light. Maybe it was the night, or all the little twinkle lights on the square, but, for the first time, Andrew noted that Gypsy was nice looking.

Of course, the scrunched eyebrows and sour expression on her face broke that love spell almost immediately. Andrew nearly blushed from his previous thought.

"Well, are you going to do it?"

"Yeah, but after this song."

"Why wait?"

"I don't know. It seems like this song was important to Babette and Miss Patty. I think they wanted to play something nice for Max and Lorelai to dance to. I'm not really sure why, but I don't mind waiting." Gypsy turned her head and took in the dancing crowd, looking to see if Lorelai and her fiancé were really dancing, as Andrew implied.

"That's not Max," Gypsy relayed.

"What?" Andrew asked, now turning his head to the dance floor.

"Lorelai's dancing, all right. But, it's not with her fiancé." Andrew nodded his head in realization when he finally spotted Lorelai and Luke.

"No wonder they pushed me out of the chair. They've been waiting for that to happen for years."

"Leave it to Patty and Babette to try to make a damn _Love Connection _at Lorelai's engagement party."

"They look like they are having a good time, though." Gypsy nodded, agreeing with Andrew. They continued to watch the two friends enjoy each other's company for a few more moments, allowing a comfortable silence engulf them. Andrew had a fleeting desire to ask the mechanic next to him to dance, but was afraid that she might insult him.

In the midst of all his strange Gypsy thoughts, Andrew was nearly scared out of his skin when Gypsy spoke again.

'If it's any consolation, I thought you were a damn good DJ." Andrew, embarrassed by wanting to dance with this woman, who was being unusually nice to him, leaped out of the bench.

"I, uh…tha-I…I have to go to the bathroom!" With that, Andrew took off, making a beeline for Miss Patty's studio.

Gypsy shook her head for what seemed like the millionth time at this man. Andrew was certainly acting strangely, but, when was he not? She swirled the remaining punch in her cup and down it in one gulp. Then, Gypsy resumed her people-watching, content to watch whatever was going on between Luke and Lorelai unfold.

* * *

**_I am so _**

**_Damn curious to know _**

**_And there are too _**

**_Many unanswered questions _**

**_That we hold onto _**

**_

* * *

_****A/N: And that was Part 2. Thoughts? That was a long one, wasn't it? (Just for you, LLfreak8285, nudgenudge winkwink) I would really love feedback for this particular section. I must say, I do love the Babette scene. Can't you totally picture her spewing on Kirk and pushing Andrew over? Oh, and least we forget Gypsy. Gosh, I love that mechanic. Please review and comment about what you liked and didn't like. Once again, I do realize Luke may be over the top in this story, but I feel that writing his characterization like this is necessary. Also remember that I wrote it so that even Luke realizes that this is out of character behavior for him. **

**So, the song (once again, thank you Christina for helping me decide. Did I ever tell you that you're my hero?)…It's called "Curious," by an up and coming young artist, Holly Brook. It is such a gorgeous song, and when I started implementing the lyrics into the dance everything just fit together perfectly (and I don't blame you if you totally breezed through the lyrics b/c that's what I normally do, but maybe read a couple of 'em for me, please). I strongly suggest that you go and listen to this song. Not only will you get the mood I was trying to create, but you will absolutely fall in love with her voice, like I did when I saw her in concert with Tony Lucca, Joe Firstman, and Josh Kelley (who I absolutely adore! Katherine Heigl is a lucky, lucky girl). So, yeah, her CD is on iTunes, but you can also listen to her music on myspace and her website (just google Holly Brook). This is not meant to be a plug, but when I fall in love with new music, I like to spread the word like wildfire. I am totally taking creative liberties by putting this song in my story (b/c the CD just came out this summer), but, hey, that's why fanfiction is great. **

**Oh, almost forgot about Crazy Carrie. So, I was watching the GG pilot last night, and, for some reason, paying particularly close attention to everything (especially how many times the sets change the whole episode, mostly Sookie scenes b/c those were reshot when Melissa McCarthy replaced Alex Borstein for the part). I was watching the scene where Rory is at Stars Hollow High and girls in her class are appalled that she is actually doing the assignment. I noticed that the teacher's voice sounded so familiar, so I rewound (ah, the wonder that is Tivo), and paused and… OMG, it's Crazy Carrie! I'm sure you very astute GG fans probably knew that, but I was so surprised. I even went on imdb to check, and sure enough, Crazy Carrie is in the pilot. I love finding out new stuff like that.**

**Ok, I'm out of steam (finally!). I apologize for my abnormally long a/ns. Oh, did I mention reviewing? Please do…**

**Next Chapter, Part 3: Maxus Interruptus (or _Do the Limbo Dance_)- So, what was going on with Max this whole time? You're about to find out…**


	3. Maxus Interruptus

**A/N: Here we are, my reader friends...Part 3. Next chapter will be the last in this little chronicle. But, fret not. The end will be fantabulous. At least, I think so... I had originally planned to post this on Thursday as a Thanksgiving gift to my fellow Americans, but decided to wait until the alerts started working again. If it helps put you back into the Thanksgiving mood, I am heating up the leftovers my mom sent home with me right now.**

**Let's get on with it, shall we...**

**But, first, a few responses (I'm such a tease_...dirty_)**

**cywen69:** I like your idea and even thought about doing something similar to that in my preliminary planning for the story. But, I decided that Lorelai and Luke are not the type of people who would cheat (despite what happened on the show this season). I think you'll like what I have in store for the end soooo much better…

**addicted2coffee:** Yeah, I kinda stole 'Mississippily' from _Friends_. Ross mentions the term when his spray tan attempts went horribly wrong. But, you're right, it does seem like something Lorelai would actually say, so I included it.

**LLfreak8285:** Aw, you know I love ya too…also dearly, not queerly. Funny story, I actually went dancing the other night because my friend decided that I don't get out of the house enough. Yeah, I sucked, but didn't really care because 'Livin' on a Prayer,' came on and you can't pass up looking like a rhythm-less dunce while belting Bon Jovi. I'm with you on the whole 'finding a guy like Luke' thing. I think that's why I write him the way I do.

**orangesherbert7:** Ok, so the reason for the Andrew/Gypsy scene for the end was three-fold (haha, Chandler moment…'The meaning of the box is threefold…'). 1. I had originally planned to end Part 2 with the sentence before the Gypsy/Andrew scene, but Christina thought, and I agreed, that it seemed really final. Like a bittersweet ending for the whole story. We definitely didn't want that. So, we brainstormed scenes with Max (which I said no to b/c I wanted the Max to be forgotten about until this chapter), Rory/Dean, Sookie, and another Patty/Babette, but nothing really seemed right. 2. Gypsy was probably the only townie that I hadn't mentioned prominently in the story and nobody really gave another thought to poor Andrew when Babette kicked them to the curb. I loved an idea of a scene between the two of them, with a jaded Andrew and an unsympathetic Gypsy. Plus, I just adore Gypsy. 3. Christina and I were talking about all the weird Stars Hollow pairings we had seen in fanfiction and decided Gypsy/Andrew (AG, if you will) wasn't all that crazy. So, little 'ship stuff was thrown into the mix.

**Muffin Is Injured:** Dang! I was hoping to one-up you for once.

**Lolabelle26:** Thanks for the support, my medallion soul sister. I hear Bangladesh is pleasant this time of year. I just signed up for my first skydiving lesson. You game? I just realized that you haven't read this whole chapter yet. _Snickers evilly_. Oh the power…Then again, you already know what's going to happen…_damn!_

**This chapter is largely dedicated to the icon that is David Hasselhoff. I'll explain at the end...**

**

* * *

****Part 3: Maxus Interruptus (or _Do the Limbo Dance_)**

Max checked his watch for the umpteenth time. He didn't think that being cornered by Lorelai's friend, Jackson, after coming out of the bathroom would last ten minutes. But, the watch didn't lie. He had been chatting with Jackson for ten whole minutes. He quickly discovered that Jackson liked his hybrid fruits and loved to talk. And talk he did. Lorelai was going to kill him. His neck ached from nodding so much in an attempt to feign interest in the cross-pollination process of the rasquat. He needed to get away from there.

"So, with the success of the rasquat method, I am trying to develop ways to cross-pollinate more berries and citrus. Be honest, would you eat a Bluegerine? Or a Hucklelime?" Max nodded, scanning the people nearby for an escape. Much to his delight, he spotted Rory at the Weston's coffee kiosk. It was the perfect out. "Max?" Jackson asked, "Bluegerine or Hucklelime? Oh, or a Boysenrange?"

"I'm sorry, Jackson," Max interrupted as politely as possible. "I need to have a word with my future step-daughter."

"Oh, hey, no problem, Max. Nice talking to you."

"Yes, and I'll think about those fruit varieties. It's quite fascinating."

Max made a beeline to Rory, hoping that he didn't appear too rushed. As he approached the kiosk, he tried to find Lorelai in the crowd. Maybe she had found someone to dance with in his absence. Rory had been staring at the dance floor with her coffee in hand. Her expression looked…surprised? Following her gaze, he spotted his fiancé…and the man she was dancing with.

He tried very hard to hide the shock from his face. She had indeed found someone to dance with. Someone who was holding her very close. He recognized this man. It was Lorelai's friend, the one who made the famous coffee. The one who left his toolbox at her house. The one who fixes things. The one he got in that silly argument with. The one he thought once dated Lorelai. He wasn't just imagining that vibe, was he? What was his name again?

Max wasn't sure what was more unsettling about the scene before him. Was it the way this man lovingly stroked Lorelai's back or the way she rested her head on his shoulder? His musings were interrupted by the small voice of Rory at his side:

"Some party, huh?" Rory stated brightly. Max attempted a smile and sucked in a breath. This had to be a misunderstanding. Lorelai had said that nothing had gone on between them in the past.

"Yes, this town really loves Lorelai."

"Did she already give you the queen and court jester spiel?"

"Are you a fellow court jester?"

"Nope, a princess." Max nodded with a firm grin. He felt a little woozy. This was the last thing he expected when he returned from the bathroom. Why did she look so comfortable?

They were both quiet for a little bit. Max felt like bombarding Rory with thousands of questions, but it wasn't his place…But, dammit, if he wasn't curious…

"Rory, would you be offended if I asked you a question about Lorelai?" Rory seemed to ponder this a moment. _What are you doing to the poor girl, Max? She's your student, your fiancé's daughter, and your future step-daughter. You're asking her to betray Lorelai's confidence! _But, Rory shook her head in response.

"No, go ahead," she said, voice slightly unsure. Max nodded, formulating the question in his head first.

"When your mom and I were apart, did she…were they… together?" Max gestured to Lorelai and her dancing partner, whose name suddenly slipped from his memory.

"Luke? No…No," she said, the second 'no' firmer than the first.

"That's what she said, but I still have this feeling," he said quietly, more to himself than to Rory.

"They're just friends. Really good friends," Rory spouted out quickly, jumping to the defense of her mother and Luke. "He feeds us and takes care of us. Luke's practically family. Mom cares about him, but not in a romantic sense. He's kinda like Mel; cantankerous diner owner, but deep-down, has a big heart." Max took this information in and nodded slowly.

"Nothing happened?" he asked again.

"I would've known, Max."

"And, Lorelai wouldn't lie to me, right?"

"She has no reason to." Max lovingly squeezed Rory's shoulder. She really was a sweet girl and he immediately felt guilty for grilling her about Lorelai.

"Thank you, Rory, and I'm sorry for asking you all these questions. Please excuse me."

With that, Max began walking toward his fiancé and her friend.

* * *

Luke couldn't tell if he was in physical pain or simply enjoying his time with Lorelai a little too much. The line between the two extremes was beginning to become fuzzy. Why did she have this power over him? An alluring siren, just like German origin of her name suggested. Not that he had done any research on it… 

This wasn't the only time he had noticed the spell she put him under. Everyday, he would refuse to give her coffee, ranting and raving about the obvious health hazards, but a fabulous smile and a flip of the hair later, he was refilling her mug. He didn't even want to get started on the trance she put him under when she wore a little black dress. Man almighty, that combination was lethal.

But, this was different. God was it different.

He was holding her. She was leaning terribly close to him. Luke could just dip his head forward and smell her hair. The hands on her back could feel her heart beating. It completely bewildered him. Luke couldn't tell if he was miserable by her presence or if his heart was about to burst in sheer anticipation. And, the funny thing is, she was having this powerful effect on him unwittingly. Lorelai wasn't trying to con him out of something. She wasn't using her charms to get another cup of coffee, or beg for more chocolate chips on her pancakes, or attempting to persuade him to clean out her rain gutters. She was just there. She was allowing herself to be held by him. Letting him be the person that she danced with.

Luke had never felt so plagued.

Was it wrong that he wanted to kiss her right then? Just one. That's it. He would be satisfied by that.

Oh, who the hell was he kidding? Of course Luke wouldn't be satisfied by just one kiss. Kissing Lorelai might open up a floodgate, causing him to crave a million more. It would do nothing to quench these overwhelming feelings of desire and lust that Rachel's departure had brought to light.

Only, Lorelai wasn't his to kiss.

She obviously didn't return the feelings that had made Luke positively batty these past few weeks. She was engaged, for crying out loud! Engaged to _him._ Mr. Perfect. Mr. smarty pants, nice car, coffee lover who seemed almost picture perfect for the woman in front of him in every way. Yeah, that guy. The guy he could never hope to be.

_Dammit!_

Friend Luke. That's all he was. That's all he will ever be.

_Don't wait too long…to tell her._

_Fantastic advice, Rachel. I mean, really. I wait a day, I needed to process, and think that maybe, just maybe, I should go for it. But, ding dong, the teacher is at the door. That really worked out well, didn't it?_

_I can't possibly tell her now. It would be wrong. She's taken. Okay, maybe she deserves to know, but, I just…can't. I can't do that to her. I can't lay all that in front of her. She's getting married. Lorelai deserves for that guy to make her happy. _

A few years ago, Luke was digging through the storage shed behind the diner, trying to find some supplies left from his father's hardware store. Lorelai needed her kitchen sink fixed again and Luke didn't see the point of going to the store when he probably had the parts lying around somewhere. After nearly an hour and a few frustrated kicks directed at some boxes in his way, he found a small box with his mother's name on it that he had never seen before. Carefully, and almost reverently, he opened it up. There was nothing much; some knick-knacks, a few random photos of he and Liz as kids, and a book of poetry. Blowing dust off the aged hardcover, he flipped through the pages, and suddenly came across a dog-eared page. Robert Frost's, _The Road Not Taken. _It seemed like an almost stereotypical poem to find in a poetry collection. It was something you read, studied, over-analyzed, and memorized in high school English. But, perhaps it had meant something to his mother. The woman who always encouraged him to follow his heart, even if it went against all logic.

Luke meant absolutely no disrespect to his mother, but screw Robert Frost! Take the road less traveled, indeed. What's so wrong with the road he's always gone down? At least that road was safe. If he went down the other path, if he crossed that line, if he took the plunge, there would be no turning back. There were no short cuts leading back to the safe road. He would be stuck. The other road either worked out well for him or he would be faced with bears, and thorny bushes, and…other scary forest things.

Either Luke stuck to the friendship route, or he forged into unknown territory…

_Jeez, when did I start thinking in freakin' metaphors?_

His timing to have all these feelings is certainly impeccable. All those years, he had that little crush that he pushed to the back of his mind in order to function on a daily basis. That nagging voice in his head that told him to just ask Lorelai out. She was single all that time, and he said absolutely nothing. Gave her no indication that he might want something more. But, now she's taken, and he wants to blurt out everything.

Maybe he should get his head examined.

Just then, Lorelai slightly leaned her head on his shoulder and breathed a contented sigh into his neck.

_Ah, screw it! I need to do something…_

"Lorelai," Luke simply begins, having no idea what he is getting himself into. He knows it's not a good idea. It's completely out of character for him. He just can't take it anymore! He'll kick his own ass for the rest of his life if he watches her marry someone else before he could have his chance.

Lorelai raised her head from his shoulder and looked Luke in the eye, her lips formed into a small smile.

Yep, it was certainly going to be harder to tell her when she looked so damn beautiful.

"Yeah?" she questioned, head cocked to the side.

"I…uh, I just…want you to know that…uh…you're my friend," Luke blurted out quickly, mentally kicking himself for the choice of words and the inarticulate sputtering. _Smooth, really smooth._

"Aw, you're my friend too, Copper." Leave it to Lorelai to be oblivious to the seriousness of the moment.

"Well, um, as your friend, I feel like I should tell you that I... You need to know that I-"

"Mind if I cut in?" a very familiar voice interrupted. Lorelai glanced behind Luke and her eyes immediately widened.

_Shit._

What's the one thing that could go wrong when Luke has finally worked up enough guts to tell Lorelai about his inner torment?

Here's a hint: his name rhymes with jackass- _I mean_- fax.

Max Medina.

* * *

"Mind if I cut in?" 

Max watched as the eyes of his fiancé grew wide with surprise and Lorelai and that diner '_friend'_ jumped miles apart.

"M-m-max," Lorelai stuttered, "I was wondering where you, uh, were." _Yeah right, _thought Max bitterly, _you were looking pretty cozy without me a few minutes ago. _Lorelai attempted an overly broad smile, while the man next to her hung his head and rubbed his forehead. _Guilty, perhaps? _Max wasn't so sure what to think anymore.

"I got caught talking to Jackson," he said, sounding eerily calm, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything…"

"No!" they quickly exclaimed in unison. Surprised by their synchronized answer, Lorelai and Luke turned to give each other a quick glance, and then returned their attention to Max.

"We were just, uh-" Lorelai began.

"-dancing," Luke supplied, "and-"

"-talking," Lorelai finished with a nod. Max's expression remained blank, so she continued, "Cuz, we're friends."

"Yeah," Luke lamely added. He felt like an idiot.

Suddenly, Max smiled, a full 180 that spooked Lorelai.

"Lorelai, there is no need for an explanation. When I went to the bathroom, I told you to find someone else to dance with. I expected you to follow through with that. However," Max stated, directing his steely gaze at Luke, "I have returned to the bathroom and would like to dance with my fiancé. It is our engagement party. Mine and Lorelai's. Is that alright with you? May I dance with my fiancé?"

Luke never wanted to punch out this guy's lights more.

He balled his right hand into a fist, and then loosened. The contracting and relaxing of his hand had a calming effect on his boiling anger, fueled _his _possessive attitude toward Lorelai. Luke's protective nature reared its head, but he knew he couldn't do anything. Lorelai was _his_. _He _had every right to be curt towards Luke._ I mean, what was I about to do before Max walked up? Jeez. _

"Sure," Luke said through gritted teeth. What else could he do? What the hell was he thinking anyway? Was he expecting Lorelai to just dump her fiancé to run into his arms? That was stupid. Deep down, he knew she wouldn't. Max had a lot to offer her. What did he have to give besides a cup of coffee and a chunk of his heart? Luke shook his head to clear his angry thoughts and glimpsed at Lorelai, who was sheepishly staring at her shoes. "I should get going anyway."

"Luke," she called out to him, jerking her head upright. "You said…You wanted to tell me something?" The corner of his lip twitched up, surprised that she had even remembered. Then, Luke watched as Max placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently. Watched as Lorelai leaned into this display of affection. A part of him wanted nothing more than to piss off Max by doing something rash. The immature side of him wanted to smugly flip him off. But, the rational side, the Friend Luke side, just wanted Lorelai to be happy.

"It wasn't important." Lorelai raised her right eyebrow, giving him the look that meant she knew that he was lying. Frankly, he didn't care anymore. Luke was giving up. He had his chance before Max came onto the scene and he blew it. Now, he was going to have to live with that decision. "Really, it's nothing."

"Okay," Lorelai said, shooting him a smile, "Thanks for coming…I know I already said this, but it meant a lot." Luke nodded and did the best thing he knew how to do; let Friend Luke take over.

"Yeah…Congratulations." He gave Lorelai his best grin and tried not to glower at Max.

"Thank you…uh…" Max said, clearly struggling to remember Luke's name.

"Luke," both he and Lorelai contributed.

"Right, Luke. Thanks for coming. Oh, and for keeping Lorelai company while I was away."

"No problem… See you in the morning?" he directed to Lorelai.

"Maybe a little later than normal," Max said, wrapping his arm around Lorelai. Even Lorelai seemed off put by his gesture, slightly frowning.

Talk about déjà vu from a few weeks ago.

"What ever time, I'll be there. I always am." Luke seemed satisfied by his final jab to Max and was ready to make his way back to the apartment. He was sick to his stomach watching _him _publicly fondle Lorelai.

Hello knife. You remember gut?

Okay…he wasn't fondling her. Luke was just…tired. He just wanted to go home now and forget about this night. The good and the bad. Sleep away these Lorelai thoughts. It was better that way. Luke needed it to be better.

"Night Luke." Lorelai said sweetly. "Save me coffee in the morning?"

"You bet…Night." Luke turned his back to the 'happy' couple and sighed. Then, he trudged back to the diner, successfully resisting the urge to look at Lorelai one last time.

* * *

**_I am so  
Damn curious to know  
And there are too  
Many unanswered questions  
Then we hold on to_**

_**Like you**_

* * *

Max leaned over and placed a few gentle kisses into her hairline. Lorelai sighed, watching Luke walk away from her, feeling incredibly guilty about how everything ended that night. 

She had started all this. She was the one who asked Luke to dance. She was the one who dragged him onto the dance floor. She was the one who mentally begged Luke to ask her to dance again. She was the one who felt so protected in his arms. Yet, Max was glaring at Luke. Max was using condescending and overprotective tones when he was talking to Luke. Max was strategically marking his territory in front of Luke. And, Lorelai didn't like feeling used. She didn't like it at all.

There was something about being Luke's arms. Some feeling that she couldn't put a finger on. But, it felt good. She knew she should be guilt-ridden by feeling wanted and secure in another man's arms. But, this was Luke, and Luke was different. He was her friend, and it was alright to feel that way toward friends…right?

"I love you, Lorelai Gilmore," Max whispered in her ear. Lorelai glanced up and looked directly into Max's eyes. His expression shone genuine. Luke wasn't there. He wasn't trying to impress anyone. He really did love her.

That was the difference. Lorelai had never been truly loved before. She had been tolerated. She had been put up with. She had been liked. She had been lusted after. She had been desired. She had been adored from afar. She had been placed on a pedestal. But, no one had ever expressed this kind of love to her before. That's where Max was different.

So, Max was a little possessive. He loved her. That was enough. It had to be enough.

She needed it to be enough.

Lorelai sincerely smiled at her fiancé for the first time since he had left for the bathroom.

"Shall we make the rounds?" he asked before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Let's shall."

* * *

Kirk stood next to Morey, still hurt by the fact that his megaphone had been hidden by Lorelai. There goes 40 bucks he wouldn't be getting back. He nursed his cup of Founder's Punch…Virgin, of course. Mother didn't like alcohol. Miss Patty had made it especially for him. 

The slow number faded from the loudspeakers in the square and was replaced by the upbeat sounds of a tropical song. A very familiar song from Kirk's mental repertoire…

_**Let's go on a holiday  
(Let's go to Jamaica)  
Fly in to Montego Bay  
(Let's go to Jamaica)  
Maybe find a hideaway  
(Let's go to Jamaica)  
We can limbo on the sand  
To a steel drum band**_

Kirk began to choke on his punch, astonished that this particular song would make it into the party playlist. That's right; Kirk Gleason had a favorite song.

"Oh my God," he said like a child opening Christmas presents. He never got as many presents as his brothers and sisters. In fact, Mother forgot to buy him a gift one year…make that two. He always wondered what it was like to get lots of presents…but, that was beside the point.

"What is it, Kirk?" Morey asked.

"David Hasselhoff," Kirk said in awe.

"The Knight Rider guy? What about him?"

"We have to find a pole." Morey rolled his eyes, used to not understanding the incoherent murmurs from Kirk's mouth. Unfortunately, Babette, his buffer, was off scheming with Patty. Kirk raced away, making a beeline for the gazebo. Morey watched in amusement as Kirk began to jerk a metal pole away from the decorations it was holding up. Right on time, Taylor Doose raced over to Kirk, arms flailing angrily.

"Just what do you think you are doing, Kirk?" Morey heard Taylor shout.

"We need a pole. We have to limbo," Kirk said, in all seriousness. Taylor, generally not one to back down from an argument, surprised Morey by relenting. "C'mon everyone! Let's Limbo Dance!"

"What's goin' on?" Babette asked, coming up next to her husband.

"Something about David Hasselhoff."

"I heard he's BIG in Germany."

Above the tropical twang of the steel drum, Kirk could be heard belting at the top of his lungs along with the lyrics:

_**Limbo cool, limbo fine  
Ev'rybody gets a chance  
Come on and move your body down  
Do the limbo dance**_

Babette shook her head. Apparently, the disturbing image of Kirk's skinny frame doing the limbo would stick with everyone for years to come.

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty, what did you think of this one? Please, please, please tell me. I'm rather fond of this chapter, myself. "Maxus Interruptus" started out being a pet name for this chapter, but it was too good of title to resist. I'd love to know what you thought. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Every Clint Eastwood themed facet. Review!**

**So, David Hasselhoff...Can't you totally see Kirk being a big fan of his? But, as Kirk said in this chapter, that's beside the point. **

**One of the very important parts of this story was finding the perfect song for Luke and Lorelai to dance to (and if I haven't expressed this enough, go listen to "Curious." Beautiful, beautiful song). I was stuck, and Lolabelle (wonder that she is) graciously offered to help me. She sent me a list. I had a general idea of what I was looking for. So, I was browsing the iTunes store and one of the songs I was looking at had a David Hasselhoff version. I listened to it, then I listened to it again, then I contemplated buying it, then I listened to it again...you get the point...After wiping the tears of pure elation off of my keyboard, I remembered hearing somewhere that he had a really funny music video, so I Googled him. First video that popped up was called "Limbo Dance." Very promising title, no? FUNNIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! I could be exaggerating, but it was pretty frakkin' funny. I must warn you that the song does get stuck in your head. That's my little disclaimer. **

**So, go to Google Video. Type in, "David Hasselhoff, Limbo Dance." You will not be sorry. It's a good laugh. And, if you have more time, check out his version of "Jump in My Car." That's ridiculously mockable as well. **

**Did I mention reviewing? Please do. Watch the video, then review. I wanna hear your reactions to both my chapter and the Hoff. **

**Like I said, next up is the final chapter, ****Part 4: Wedding Dress Blues (or _Save the Last Dance for Me_)- Wedding dress shopping hurls Lorelai into self-doubt about the step she is about to take. Max is in Toronto. Rory is trying to be supportive. And, Luke is just trying to forget about his feelings for Lorelai. **


	4. Wedding Dress Blues

**A/N: Hey friends! Sorry for the slight delay. I had the vast majority of this chapter written back in November, but wanted more time to perfect the very end. Plus, finals hit me pretty hard. I had an uber-long paper to do for my scientific thinking class and I waited to start it the week it was due (of course). So, yeah, 25 pages, numerous notecards, and countless hours on the 5th floor of the library later, I finally finished with that semester. **_**Big siiiiigh. **_**So, now, I be back, **_**mon**_**. Let's limbo dance, folks (and if that phrase hasn't made it into your vocabulary yet...well, you're just strange). **

It snowed today! Which wouldn't be weird, but I live in Southern Arizona and that never happens! I'm in an especially good mood right now.

**Here we are, the last chapter. I know, I know; I'm sad too. **

**Please extend BIG kudos, snaps, warm fuzzies, and other happy things to our dear Lolabelle. Without her, this story would have no ending. Or no huge Luke rant (oh yeah!) That's right; I originally had no idea how I should end this thing after Max interrupted our favorite couple at the dance. After a few intense brainstorming e mails, Christina said one thing, and before your could say 'Bob's your uncle,' this baby had an ending. And, I must say, her ideas were ingenious. So, BIG/GINORMOUS/HUGE/MASSIVE thanks to you, Christina. **

**If you guys want to take the time to personally thank her, she likes roses, but she would prefer chocolate or a Yo Crunch (ah, the memories). Hey, cash is always nice too. Or gift cards. ****Or a plane ticket to Bangladesh. I hear Expedia is running some deals right now, so you guys better get cracking. **

**

* * *

Stay tuned for my big thank-you session at the end (and shameless plea for reviews), but first, some responses (and please feel free to skim):**

_javajunkie15: _I know, I know. I'm sorry. I hope this was worth the wait.

**_hurryup!!!:_ You have no idea how much I laughed when I read your name/review. Thanks for the motivation. Lord knows I need some occasionally. **

**_LLFreak_: Facebook is pretty addicting. I was on it constantly my freshman year, then lost interest for awhile, and now I'm actually checking it on a regular basis. Not quite sure why, haha. I'm also glad to hear that you loved the song. Wasn't it perfect for this story? It's so beautiful, and I don't tend to say that very often. I don't think I've told you how much I appreciate your reviews. Thanks!**

**_Alaina Rose_: I think you will see how it ends up very soon…Let me know if you liked it. **

**_Muffin is Injured_: OMG, I totally forgot about 'Hooked on a Feeling!' I don't know how that was possible; it's waaaaay too memorable. I watched it again, just for good measure, and was in hysterics once again. Thanks for keeping me in line. **

**_Jewels12_: Don't feel too bad about your little secret. I used to love Baywatch too! I would stay up late and watch it Saturday nights when I was younger and would get upset when I missed that or Walker, Texas Ranger. Ah, to be young and have very interesting taste in television again. **

**_Cinny72_: Yeah, I never thought timing was Max's strong suit, haha. I mean, asking Lorelai out when he's still Rory's teacher. Showing up for their date right when Rory walked out the door (during Cinnamon's wake). Kissing her while she is trying to break up with him. Proposing when they were in the middle of a fight (partly over Luke, mind you). Picking fights with her when she's full, tired, or hung-over. So, Max interrupting right at that moment seems typical, no? **

**_thedragonflyislove522_: Thanks for the advanced thanks. I think you will be satisfied by this chapter… **

**_Lorelai the Coffee Slayer:_ Thanks, you just got 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' stuck in my head. "I wanna stand with you on a mountain…" **

**_llmeant2b_: Eh, my first crush was Garth Brooks, so I'm not sure which is more embarrassing, haha. But, yes, the Hoff did have an awesome car. And, pretty short swim trunks. Garth Brooks…well, he swings on rope ladders during his concerts. I think the Hoff may be edging him out. My crush may have been solidified if he actually did the limbo during the 'Limbo Dance' video. I mean the sexy smolder at the end was one thing, but an actual limbo would've been pretty impressive. **

**_Lolabelle_: Yeah, I am also convinced that Dakota Fanning is going to rule the world someday. I mean, how many child roles has she been in lately. Pretty much every frakkin' movie that requires a kid. Well, except for the new Will Smith movie. I think it would've been hard to convince people that she was his daughter. This isn't Heroes or Men in Trees (which, by the way, could that kid from Heroes look like his parents any less. Jeez Louise). Oh, and just remember to 'choose wisely' when you go on that Holy Grail quest. Wow, I don't think I realized how dirty the words 'Kirk' and 'pole' were together until you mentioned it. It conjured up many a disturbing image. **

**_OkGoPrettyMuchRules_: Yes, show the video to everyone you know. They will not be sorry. **

**_Cywen69_: Yeah, I think it's interesting that we don't really care about cheating when it comes to Christopher. I was watching 'I Can't Get Started' the other day, and the whole episode was really tainted for me. He didn't seem as charming to me as he did in the past. I think maybe b/c the phrases 'deadbeat,' 'advantage-taking bastard,' 'Big Spender,' and 'Whiner McWhinington' kept running through my head. I don't forsee myself ever feeling bad for him again. Which is exactly why he doesn't make an appearance in this story, haha. **

**_freelancer starbuck_: I couldn't agree with you more about Kirk and the Hoff. **

**_Nardini's Suck_: Yeah, I officially have Limbo Dance on my ipod, and man, that song is like the Small World song or Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days. My gosh, it's enough to drive you insane. "Limbo cool, limbo fine…" **

So, apparently, I had more to say than I thought. Isn't that usually the case with me? I think I'm going to start adding 'feel free to skim the a/n's' in my disclaimers. Let's get on with it, because this baby's a long one.

* * *

**Part 4: Wedding Dress Blues (or _Save the Last Dance for Me_)**

Looking at herself in the mirror in full wedding attire brought back some painful memories for Lorelai. Cotillion. Coming out parties. White gloves. Fan dances. Tux-clad date. Pink strip. Tight white dress. Angry Emily. Cake…well, the cake was actually pretty good.

It might have been enough to put a damper on her shopping excursion, but she reminded herself, as always, that all the mistakes and disappointments in her life had brought her Rory. Rory had never been a bad thing.

The dress that she had on now really was beautiful. It was a simple, white, strapless number, adorned with loose, gauzy fabric. It was formfitting and hugged her curves quite nicely. The only details were a loose knot below her right shoulder and intimate draping at the bodice. It made Lorelai feel pretty. She could even wear a tiara with it, like Emily had suggested days before.

But, why didn't this dress feel right? Why hadn't any of the dresses she had tried on feel perfect?

Try as she might, Lorelai could not picture herself on her upcoming wedding day. She tried to imagine herself in this gorgeous dress with a bouquet of yellow daisies, walking down the aisle toward Max. She tried to envision Rory and Sookie at the front waiting for her, their bridesmaid dresses fluttering in the light breeze. She tried to picture her parents sitting on the front row, looking proud for a change. She tried to see Babette, Miss Patty, Taylor, Kirk, and the rest of the town interspersed in the crowd, with smiles to wish her well. She tried to visualize Max, looking handsome in a tuxedo, and radiating with joy.

Lorelai really did try to see all this, but every time she wanted her mind to wander to this event, she came up with a complete blank. She couldn't see it happening. She couldn't see the scene unfolding in front of her. Looking at herself in the mirror right then proved that she had no idea how this whole wedding thing was supposed to work. Sure, she had planned and managed dozens of weddings over the years, but none of them were ever her own.

More importantly, Lorelai had tried to picture Luke at her wedding. She tried to see his face. She tried to imagine that he was happy for her. She tried to see him looking quite dapper in a suit, sans his tradition baseball cap. She tried to visualize how he would act around her after she became Max's wife.

She couldn't see that happening either. Lorelai couldn't see any of it.

The word 'wife' still sounded very strange in her ears. Very soon, she would be Mrs. Max Medina. Lorelai Medina. Lorelai Victoria Medina. Max's wife. _Gah_, it just didn't sound right yet, no matter how many times she repeated the new name to herself.

"_Hi, I'm Lorelai Medina, and this is my husband, Max."_

Could she tell Max that she wasn't comfortable being called 'Lorelai Medina' yet? Would Max understand? Would he be mad? Should she tell him about some of the concerns she had been having lately? The whole grown-up relationship thing was still a new concept to Lorelai. Max was basically the first. She wasn't quite sure what she should tell him and what she should keep to herself. Lorelai didn't tend to stay in a relationship long, for Rory's sake. At least, that's what she always told herself. And, jeez, it certainly didn't help that Max was going to be in Toronto for two months.

Lorelai Gilmore.

Lorelai Medina.

Mrs. Medina.

Lorelai Gilmore-Medina.

Lorelai Victoria Gilmore-Medina.

Mrs. Max Medina.

Lorelai Victoria Gilmore-Danes

_Where the hell had that come from?_

Sure, she had been thinking about Luke lately. Probably more than she was willing to admit. Lorelai couldn't help it. Things between them hadn't been the same since the dance at the engagement party. The normal spark and witty banter had virtually been nonexistent the past week. Conversations seemed strained and uncomfortable. Even Rory was starting to get suspicious. A part of her kept replaying that night in her head. She remembered the song and how it made Luke hold her closer. She remembered how safe she felt. She remembered Luke's smile and his pleasant disposition. She remembered feeling the heat on her cheeks when Luke told her that she looked nice. She remembered the tone of possibility in his voice when he whispered in her ear.

What had he wanted to say? Why didn't he just tell her now? It was really bugging Lorelai.

She remembered how guilty she suddenly felt when Max asked to cut it. She remembered feeling sad when Luke walked away.

Gah, why was she so curious about what Luke was going to say before they were interrupted?

Not just curious. Damn curious.

"Mom? Do you need help?" Rory's voice from outside of the dressing room nearly made Lorelai jump out of her skin. Yep, she was now catapulting back to reality.

"Uh, no hon. I'm just…accessing."

"Well, hurry up, Narcissus. You've been in there for almost fifteen minutes and Sookie keeps muttering something about being the BFTOTB and needing to see the dress."

"I'll be out in a sec." Lorelai smoothed the fabric of the pretty, pretty dress and smiled at her reflection. Had she really been in there that long?

Taking a deep breath, Lorelai carefully stepped off the platform, opened the door, and slowly made her way to the full-length mirrors in the next room. A collective gasp from her daughter, best friend, and the salesclerk greeted her as she entered.

"Mom…wow," said Rory, the first of the three to regain her composure.

"Well, Miss Gilmore, that dress certainly looks lovely on you," stated Lorraine, the salesclerk.

"God!" uttered Sookie with a sniff as she furiously dug in her purse for tissues. "You look…_sniff_…so beautiful."

"You really like it?" Lorelai asked, still feeling uncertain. It didn't have that vibe. The perfect dress was supposed to have a vibe, right?

"Love it," Rory said with a nod and a smile.

"It is very airy and light. Perfect for a summer wedding," remarked Lorraine, who looked contemplative with a fire-engine red nail on her chin.

"You look like one of those Greek heroines or goddesses, like Aphrodite or…" Sookie trailed off while dabbing her eyes.

"Helen of Troy," Rory supplied.

"Ooo, yes, Helen of Troy."

Lorelai turned around and looked at her reflection from three different angles. The three women gathered around her.

"You could wear your hair down and wavy," Rory stated.

"I have the perfect strappy sandal with a heel for this dress. Let me see if I can find it."

"We could try to find a vintage gold necklace or big earrings to go with the whole Helen theme," Sookie said enthusiastically, "Let me see if Lorraine has anything good out there."

With that, Sookie bustled off to the front of the boutique, leaving Lorelai and Rory alone in front of the mirror. Lorelai held out her arm, welcoming an embrace from her daughter. She gave her a kiss on the forehead and Rory studied the fabric on the dress.

"You really do look beautiful, Mom."

"Thanks, kiddo."

"I think _this _is it," Rory said with confidence, turning to look at her mother's face.

"Really?" Lorelai asked hesitantly.

"You don't seem sure."

"It just doesn't have the right vibe."

"Vibe?"

"You know, the 'I'm the perfect dress. Pick me!' vibe."

"But, this dress _is _perfect."

"Then, where are the signs? Where is the bright, sparkly light from heaven, shining down on it? Where are all the angels flying around it? Where are all the, um…fish swimming around it?"

"You're talkin' crazy, Anne Heche."

"Hey, that's Celestia to you." Rory shook her head and laughed at her quirky mother. "You know how I get sometimes," Lorelai continued, "I feel like I need some sort of divine assurance. If I buy the wrong dress, the fates will be against me, and, POOF, I'm divorced three months later."

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Max loves you."

"Yeah, he does," Lorelai said wistfully. She produced a half-smile for her daughter.

"Where is all this doubt coming from?" Lorelai sighed. Rory always knew what was really going on with her.

"I don't know," she said, looking at the dress again, "I really don't."

"You want to know what I think?"

"Do I have a choice in the matter?" Rory scowled, but continued.

"_I _think you are depending too much on a sign. The dress is gorgeous. You look gorgeous in it. Maybe you can't see it, but Sookie and I both think this it the perfect dress for you. Heck, even Lorraine thinks so!" Lorelai grinned and Rory gave her another squeeze. "So, snap out of this indecisive mood and buy yourself a wedding dress."

"Sometimes I wonder which one of us is more mature."

"The answer will always be me," Lorelai placed a hand on Rory's cheek, searching for guidance in her eyes that she hadn't been able to find in herself. Maybe Rory was right. Maybe she should just buy this dress. Then again, what if she was right? Lorelai definitely didn't want karma on her bad side. It was getting too damn hard to decide.

Sometimes Lorelai hated being an adult.

"I don't-"

"You'd be hard pressed to find a more beautiful dress before the wedding," Rory interrupted before Lorelai could express her self-doubt once again.

"True that."

"Max will love it." For some reason, that didn't reassure Lorelai like it should have. For lack of a better response, Lorelai nodded.

"I'm going to go change."

"Think about it. I'll help Sookie look for jewelry."

"Thanks, babe. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Mope?"

"Exactly."

Back in the dressing room, Lorelai carefully unzipped the back and cautiously stepped out of the dress. Rory was right; it was almost perfect in every aspect. She should just suck it up and take it home with her. Signs be damned.

After getting dressed, she studied the "perfect" wedding dress on the hanger. Perhaps she should take a cue from her abnormally intelligent daughter and make a pro/con list. Lorelai dug in her purse until she found a receipt and a purple pen. There, she weighed the good qualities against the bad. It was odd how so many things suddenly flowed out of her.

**Pro:** The dress makes me feel pretty.

**Con:** It doesn't feel perfect.

**Pro:** Rory loves it. So does Sookie. Oh, and Lorraine.

**Con:** I'm not sure I love it.

**Pro:** It's perfect for a summer wedding.

**Con:** A part of me always wanted to get married in the snow.

**Pro:** Max will love it.

**Con:** I'm only going to wear it one night.

**Pro:** The wedding pictures will be gorgeous.

**Con:** I don't want my last name to be Medina. It doesn't sound right. I'm a Gilmore.

**Pro:** Max loves me.

**Con:** I've never felt completely secure and certain in his arms. Not like L-Nevermind! That's a stupid reason.

**Pro:** I won't be alone when Rory goes to Harvard.

**Con:** What if I'm not happy after getting married?

**Pro:** Mom and Dad might respect me more if I get married.

**Con:** Is that a good enough reason to say "I do?"

**Pro:** Rory will finally have a stable father-figure. She likes Max.

**Con:** What if Rory and I drift apart after the wedding?

**Pro:** Max likes a good cup of coffee and he cooks!

**Con:** Luke's won't be a mainstay anymore. Max doesn't seem to like Luke.

**Pro:** Max knows a lot of my quirks and still loves me.

**Con:** There still a lot about me that Max doesn't know.

**Pro:** Max will make a good step-dad.

**Con:** He's Rory's teacher…And that keeps coming up!

**Pro:** Max can keep up with my conversations.

**Con:** He's more serious than I am.

**Pro:** He's a good boyfriend.

**Pro:** The…_you know_…has always been pretty good.

**Con:** I don't let him see me vulnerable.

**Con:** Max doesn't like Luke. I'm not even sure if he likes Stars Hollow.

**Con:** I'm having doubts. I hate having doubts.

**Con:** Max can be jealous. I think Max is jealous of Luke.

**Pro:** I really think he loves me.

**Con:** Things will change. My life will change.

**Con:** I'm pretty sure my friendship with Luke will change.

**Pro:** Rory seems to love Max.

**Pro:** I think I love him.

**Con:** I'm not sure what love is supposed to be like.

**Pro:** He gave me 1000 yellow daisies.

**Pro:** He was there when Rory ran away that night.

**Con:** Max wasn't there when Dad was in the hospital. Or, when Rory and I fought after her dance. Or, when I lost Stella. Or, when Dean broke Rory's heart. Or, when Christopher was here. Or, when I was lonely…but _Luke_ was.

**Pro:** This dress is really beautiful.

**Con:** What if love isn't enough?

Twenty-one pros. Twenty-two cons. Too close. Way too close.

Lorelai was starting to think that Rory's system wasn't going to help her this time. It wasn't going to be the best way to face her fears and reservations.

She didn't like this uncertainty gnawing at her gut. She didn't like it at all.

Lorelai picked up the dress and walked back to the front of the wedding boutique. Rory, Sookie, and Lorraine were bent over a glass counter, comparing pieces of jewelry. A shoe box sat next to the cash register. Sookie looked up and spotted her.

"Oh, Lorelai, you have to try these earrings on. They will look gorgeous with that dress." Lorelai obeyed and made her way to the counter, letting Sookie hold the earrings up to her lobes. She forced a smile, not wanting her friend to suspect that she was having doubts about the wedding... And about Max... And about her feelings. Rory, however, saw right through her façade and raised an eyebrow in concern.

"You're right, they're beautiful," she told Sookie, quickly realizing that her voice sounded dry and indifferent.

"You okay, hon?"

"I'm fine, Sook. Let's get these." Lorelai nodded, and then handed the earrings and dress to Lorraine.

"You're getting the dress?" a surprised Rory asked.

"Sure, you said it was perfect. It is…perfect."

"Okay," said Rory in an apprehensive tone. She obviously was not convinced.

"I brought those shoes out for you, Miss Gilmore. Go ahead and try them on." Lorraine began to zip the dress into a long garment bag.

"No need," Rory and Sookie both whipped their heads around to face Lorelai. "I trust your judgment, Lorraine. Just ring 'em all up." Lorelai impatiently tapped her Visa card on the counter.

Rory and Sookie exchanged worried glances.

All was not well in Whoville.

* * *

_Leo Tolstoy's short story, "The Death of Ivan Ilych," is a testament to the fact that life is short and death is inevitable. When you hang between the balance of life and death, like our protagonist, Ivan Ilych, you tend to want the end to come faster. Tolstoy used eleven long chapters to show that in the end, we all wish that Ivan would just die already._

Sometimes, Max wondered why he became a teacher. The above example was not exactly what he had in mind when he asked his students to write about the themes and motifs found in "The Death of Ivan Ilych." Students like this one made him afraid for the earth's future. These 'brainiacs' would be leading this country someday. It didn't help that after eight papers, Max was starting to get frustrated. They were all so generic. He expected more from college students. He got more quality work from his Chilton students, especially people like Rory, and the compulsively driven Paris Geller.

Taking the phrase, "the pen is mightier than the sword," to heart, Max poised his lethal red pen over the student's paper, ready to attack. Just as he was about to make his first pen stroke, he heard a knock at his door.

_That's odd. I never get visitors. _Max looked over at his microwave clock in the kitchen. 9:43. He hadn't realized that it was so late. He got up and leisurely made his way to the front door. He peered into the peephole and made out a shock of wavy brunette locks in the distorted view. Max's heart skipped a beat. He only knew one person who had beautiful hair like that.

That person was the woman he was going to marry in less than two months.

Max undid the chain lock and opened the door, unable to contain the wide grin that spread across his face. Lorelai looked up at him and gave him a half-smile.

"Avon lady," she said, almost shyly, her right hand clutching a purse.

"Lorelai, this is certainly a surprise!" Max pulled his fiancé into a hug and then kissed her softly. Lorelai's stance was very reserved, which surprised him. Lorelai, having not seen him in over a week, would have hungrily returned the kiss had this been a normal situation. Something seemed off, but Max tried to ignore it. He was thrilled to see her, and she was probably just shy, considering they were standing outside for the whole neighborhood to see.

"So," Max asked, still holding her close in his arms. God, he had missed her. How were they going to keep this up the rest of the summer? "What brings you to Canada?"

"Mounties hat," Lorelai teased. "I've always wanted one." Max raised his eyebrow, hinting that he wanted to know why she was really there. "And, well, there is this certain fella…"

"Any chance I know him?"

"There's a definite possibility." Max noted that Lorelai's tone was not as lively and chipper as it usually was. Was she tired from the drive? Was something the matter?

"Did you come alone?" he asked, pulling her inside the apartment and closing the door. Lorelai made her way to the table and rested against the edge.

"No, Rory's here. She's waiting for me at the coffee shop around the corner."

"Why doesn't she just come up?"

"She wanted to give us some, um, alone time to…talk."

"Well, that's very sweet of her." Max went into the kitchen and flipped the switch on his Senseo machine. "You want some coffee?"

"No thanks. I'm good." Well, that was very strange indeed. Lorelai never turned down coffee.

"Lorelai, are you alright?" Max finally brought himself to ask. The forced half-smile on her face dropped and she looked down at her shoes. Something was definitely bothering her.

"I'm fine, hon. Long drive." Lorelai took a seat at the table and Max pulled out the chair next to her.

"How long did it take you?"

"Nine hours, with traffic and customs. Oh, and we got lost once or twice when I wouldn't let Rory have the map."

"Was this little jaunt planned?"

"It was more of a spontaneous thing," Lorelai said, still not looking Max in the eye. He covered her hand with his and his thumb lightly rubbed circles on her wrist. Lorelai then looked up at him with a somber expression on her face. "I bought a wedding dress today."

_Why does she sound sad? What is going on?_

"That's great, but you didn't have to drive nine hours to tell me that." Lorelai nodded slowly.

"Max, do you think we could talk about some wedding plans?"

* * *

It was late and Luke had his back to the front door as he fiddled with his finicky toaster. Normally, he would be getting ready for bed at this time, but he had been restless lately. He hadn't been getting much sleep the past couple of nights. Frankly, it made him irritable and easily flustered. She hadn't been into the diner in a few days.

Was Lorelai avoiding him?

Not that Luke blamed her; he was a mess right now. He couldn't think straight when she was around.

Luke was still overwhelmed by the fact that he nearly blew it. He just about owned up to all of the feelings he had for Lorelai at _her _engagement party. He almost screwed up his friendship with the woman who meant more to him than he would like to publicly admit. If Max hadn't interrupted them, he would have blurted out everything. Lorelai would've rejected him. And, where would he be?

Alone. Like always.

Luke never felt more stupid. It would've been a bad move. A very bad move.

The funny thing is, Luke knew it was a bad idea at the time. He knew it was a move completely out of character for him. He knew that once he did it, once he told Lorelai everything, the situation had the potential to be ugly. And, yet, he was this close to telling Lorelai about his feelings for her. Thisclose. In fact, he was _thankful _that Max walked up to him when he did. Guilty as hell, but thankful. He was getting free coffee the next time he came into the diner.

Luke was aware that he hadn't acted the same around Lorelai since that night. He wasn't sure how he should act around her. Should he pretend that the dance and everything that felt right about it never happened? Should he just serve her coffee and flirt-_ahem_-chat like he always did? Should he act as if he wasn't about to make a horrible mistake that night? Should he just tell her how he feels and get the rejection over with?

No, he should just forget about it. All of it. Lorelai was getting married. She would never be close to being his. He should be the bigger man and step back. Let her be happy with Max and not stand in her way. And, eventually, he would get over her. Luke would move on. He would conveniently forget Rachel's advice and the emotional upheaval it brought forth.

Hopefully, things would just go back to normal.

But, it may take awhile. Getting over someone like Lorelai couldn't be easy.

Luke continued to mess with the toaster, but nearly dropped his screwdriver in the slot when the bell above the door sounded. Only one person would dare to walk in when the 'Closed' sign was displayed and he hoped to God it wasn't her. He wasn't ready to deal with her alone yet.

"We're closed," he bellowed from the back counter, his voice reverberating in the empty room. The person continued walking into the diner, steps echoing as they made their way to a stool. _Jeez._ Luke knew it was Lorelai. There was no one else it could be. "I don't put that sign up there for kicks, buddy," he stated gruffly, pretending that the person in the room with him was not the woman he had hopelessly fallen for. _She's a customer. Just a customer. _

"Please, if I paid attention to signs, I would never find a parking place." Luke felt the corners of his lips twitch up, in spite of himself.

"Hey," he said, finally acknowledging her presence with his back still facing her.

"Hey," Lorelai responded. "When do you ever have 'kicks'?"

"Route 66?" Lorelai snorted.

"Ha, good one." Luke shook his head and turn to face Lorelai for the first time. She looked a little tired and disheveled after a seemingly long day, but the smile she gave him shone genuine.

"Coffee?"

"Please." Luke turned around and began to spoon coffee into the filter.

"You haven't been here in a few days," he posed, hoping to find out if her avoidance of the diner was because of his abnormal attitude or some other factor.

"Yeah, I know. I had a pretty eventful weekend…Rory and I went on a bit of an impromptu road trip." Luke couldn't quite sense the tone of her voice. It wasn't sad, it just wasn't as playful and lyrical is normal.

"Really," he stated as he slammed the filter container into the coffee machine. He turned to face her again, leaning into the counter.

"Not sure if I'm ready to talk about all the details yet, but here's a teaser; it started with me buying a wedding dress and ended with Rory and I unloading the entire Harvard bookstore into our house." At the words 'wedding dress,' Luke felt sharp pains in his chest.

Yep, definitely wasn't over it yet. He just needed to focus on something else. What did she say about Harvard?

"Harvard?"

"I took Rory on a self guided tour."

"Interesting."

"Oh, Luke, it was amazing. Seeing Rory there, in a dorm room, in a classroom. It fit. She fit." Luke smiled, seeing her face light up at the mention of her daughter's bright future.

"Yeah, I can see her fitting there."

"She was right at home."

"So, how you taking that?" he asked, and Lorelai sighed. He knew her too well.

"Taking what?"

"Seeing her fit?"

"I loved it…and I hated it." Luke chuckled, and Lorelai let out a small laugh in return.

"That seems about right. You'll be fine…eventually." Lorelai smiled and Luke reached out to touch her arm in a comforting gesture. He wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to do that, but, God, it felt good. Definitely not a great idea. Lorelai's eyes sent him a 'thank you' message, and he nodded. He snapped back into reality when he heard coffee slap against the pot and he quickly poured her a mug-full. Lorelai graciously accepted.

"Good stuff."

"Really? I decided to experiment with the nutmeg again."

"I could tell. It's a remarkably good cup of coffee." Lorelai took a couple of long, drawn-out sips, and then set the mug down on the counter. Silence engulfed the room once again. Lorelai stared down into her coffee, her smile faded into a blank expression.

"You okay?" Luke felt the need to ask. Something was up. He had that feeling in his gut that always made an appearance when something was troubling one of the Gilmore girls. His Friend Luke, Mr. Fix-It mindset began to take over.

"Uh, yeah…Yeah, I am," Luke glared at her, and she knew she had been caught in a lie. "I will be, at least."

"Is it Harvard?"

"Oh, no, no. That's not it at all. I've kinda pushed that to the back of my mind for now. I'll have time to worry about that later," Lorelai exhaled, and she looked at Luke, "It's just-It wasn't exactly a pleasant weekend. I had to take care of a few things-" Luke nodded and held up his hand to interrupt.

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

"No, I want to…Maybe not now. But, soon." Luke seemed satisfied by her answer, and he pulled out the bundle of receipts from under the counter.

"Change the subject?"

"Please," Lorelai said with a small smile as she picked up her mug again.

"What else did you guys do?"

"Umm, you know, the usual," she said with a smirk, "We drove around. Went to Canada. Hit a B&B," Lorelai lowered her eyes, clearly showing her disdain for B&Bs, "Shopped. Ate some nuts and fuzzy Certs. Harvard."

"Pretty jam-packed."

"Oh, the jamiest." Luke let out a laugh, and let Lorelai ponder in the silence for a few more minutes.

Man, these past few days," she began, watching Luke sort, "I've been doing a lot of thinking, you know? Just so many thoughts about my life before, and my life now, and what I missed out on. Thoughts about what I'll never have, and what I want to have… I finally understand what that statue was going through."

"Yeah, that's a lot of thoughts."

"You're not kidding…I did something this weekend," Lorelai continued. Luke looked up from his task, thinking that she may get into what got her down. "I'm not sure I'm exactly proud of how I handled it, but it was necessary."

"You didn't get arrested, did you?" Lorelai giggled at the absurdity of his comment.

"Ha, no. Don't you think that would've been the first thing I told you about?"

"I thought it might be the thing you didn't want to talk about."

"Ah, give me more credit than that…You know, I've always wanted to be arrested in some crazy protest. Like with hippies and 'Make Levees, Not War,' posters, and tambourines."

"Levees?"

"Yeah, I wondered about that too. We were thisclose," she said, measuring the distance with two fingers, "to accidentally joining that protest on the Boston College campus."

"You have a very strange view about protests."

"It can't be that far off from the norm."

"Not every protest has tambourines."

"How would you know?"

"I just know."

"Oh my God, I bet you've been to one before! Luke 'Green Peace' Danes is a protester."

"I am not," he defensively shot back.

"What did you protest? Ooo, I bet it was red meat. Or fur. Don't ask me why, but I can totally see you with a sign that says, 'Animals are friends. Don't wear their skin," Luke watched as her expression brightened as she teased him. He was just going to let her continue without putting up much of a fight. It made him feel better to see her smiling.

"You're crazy... And, that's a horrible slogan."

"Well, when have I ever thought like everyone else?"

"Never comes to mind."

"That sounds about right." Luke grunted in response, replacing the receipts with a rag as he began to wipe down the counter again. It was better to keep his hands busy.

Lorelai swirled the remaining coffee in her mug as she watched Luke. "Can I ask you something?" Luke paused and looked up from his task.

"Yeah, sure."

"The other night, you said you wanted to tell me something, but you never did." Luke shook his head, attempting to brush her comment off, "I know you said it wasn't important, but, frankly…it's been driving me nuts." Luke swallowed slowly, panicked thoughts racing through his mind. _She remembers. I was hoping she would've forgotten by now. _

"It really wasn't, uh…you know…important." Lorelai looked at him skeptically.

"You sure?" Luke nodded with a bit of uncertainty, "Because if it really wasn't important, I would've been driving myself crazy the last week or so for nothing."

"And that's new, how?"

"Touché, Luke Danes. Touché," She said with a grin, pointing her finger at him. "So, seriously, it wasn't important?"

Luke was about to respond with the appropriate 'no,' but before he could articulate that thought, he blurted out, "You really want to know?"

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. _

"I'm sorry, Winston Churchill, you must've confused me with Switzerland."

"Don't be a smart ass," Luke scoffed. Lorelai smiled apologetically and he took in a long, deep breath before unleashing his thoughts. "You know, I haven't had many serious relationships in my life-well, I haven't had many relationships period," Lorelai nodded, "And, well, Rachel-"

"Oh God," Lorelai said softly, her smile disappearing almost immediately.

"What?" Luke asked, concerned.

"I'm so sorry," she said with remorse, dragging out the word 'so.'

"Wha-Why are you sorry?"

"I've been a crappy friend lately," Luke raised an eyebrow, "I was just so focused on Max, and the wedding, and Rory getting back together with Dean, and my mother, and the engagement party, and our trip, and, well, pretty much everything else…I don't think I asked you once how you were doing with the whole Rachel thing, did I?"

"Well-"

"I'm sorry, Luke," she said, butting in before he could comment, "That was really horrible of me. And, I'm sorry that she left again. That must've been…devastating." Luke instantly felt bad that Lorelai was apologizing, when it wasn't Rachel's actual departure that affected him the most. _What she said, on the other hand…_

"You don't need to apologize."

"But-"

"No buts."

"Ha, you said 'butts'"

"Lorelai," he said with a sigh, implementing his warning tone. "You haven't been a bad friend. I understand."

"I still feel awful. I mean, I know I can be self-absorbed, but I don't have to act like it all the time," Luke snorted, "I mean it," Lorelai stated defensively.

"Lorelai, its fine," Lorelai opened her mouth, about to interject, but Luke held up his hand and continued, "Really. I'm fine about her leaving."

"Ohhhkaaay." Lorelai downed the remaining coffee in her mug and tapped the rim. Luke rolled his eyes, and provided her with a much needed refill. After replacing the coffee pot, Luke turned back to Lorelai and leaned into the counter.

"You know what really bugs me about her leaving?" Luke asked. Lorelai instantly recognized his tone as the one he reserves for dealing with Taylor. _This must be bad._

"Wha-" Lorelai began, but was instantly cut off by Luke.

"She thinks she can just gallivant around the world and explore Pakistan, or Ethiopia, or… Duluth, and no matter what, I'll still be here."

"Well-"

"I mean, of course, I'll still be here. I own a diner. I was born here. My parents are buried here. I'm not leaving. But, she comes in, tra-la-la Rachel, without a care in the world, expecting me to still be here for her-"

"I'm sorry, did you just say tra-la-la?"

"-She just thinks I'm going to be waiting around for her. She thinks that no matter how long she is gone, she'll come back, I'll still be in love with her, and we'll just pick up where we left off. And, I'm sorry, but I don't know where the hell she got that impression!"

"Lu-"

"I'm not a dog, Lorelai. I wasn't just sitting around, just waiting, just begging for her to come back to me. I'm happy with my life."

"You're ri-" Lorelai attempted to agree, but when Luke interrupted her again, she knew she was caught in a full-born Luke-rant, and she would not be able to get a word in.

"And, she comes back, not expecting me to change, but wanting to change my life at the same time. What the hell is that about? I don't like change. She knows that! But, she puts things in my bathroom. She takes one of my drawers. She moves my milk. She wears my shirts. She turns my apartment into her own freakin' studio. She expects to share the bed with me." Luke held up his fingers as he counted off his Rachel grievances.

"You shared your teeny-tiny bed with-"

"And, I knew, from the moment she walked in that door," Luke pointed to the diner door in front of him, "from the moment that she said that flippant little, 'hey, how's it going?' that it wasn't going to work. That it wasn't for real this time. That it was never for real. I even told you that! I can't believe I listened to you and wasted my time with an old relationship that wasn't bound to work in the first place."

"Luke, I'm sure you weren't wasting-"

"I had better things to do, dammit! She didn't have to go interrupting things. Things were going well with-" Luke shook his head, knowing he shouldn't be heading into any Lorelai-related territory. _Be as vague as possible. _"Never mind."

"What things?"

"Wait a minute, I'm getting to the best part of the story," Luke laughs, almost spooking Lorelai for a minute, "Rand McNally comes waltzing down those stairs, with that stupid camera case that I-I mean you-bought for her. And I knew exactly what was going on. She was leaving again. But, hey, at least she had the decency to wait to say goodbye this time."

"Oh, Lu-"

"And she has the audacity to say that she's leaving because of me this time. Me! Boy, that's rich. I do the exact same thing I always do. I let her come back. I let her stay. I let her back in my life. And, apparently, my heart wasn't in it this time.

"Wow, ok-"

"Alright, maybe she was right. Maybe my heart wasn't in it this time. But, that's her fault. I was here. She left me. She can't expect me to be the same. She can't expect me to feel the same. She can't expect me to not move on, to not have feelings for…other things. And, then she proceeds to give me advice."

"What did she sa-"

"And, the funny thing is, I'm not sad about her leaving. I'm not sad that we grew apart. I'm not sad that it really is over this time. I'm not sad that I'm not in love with her anymore."

"Oh, well, that's good, I gues-"

"But, I am mad. Boy, am I mad! She didn't have to say what she did. She didn't have to make me over-analyze everything I thought I knew. She didn't have to…change things! I was fine with that relationship before. It didn't need her meddling. It's not like I could've done anything about it anyway. I am just so pissed off at her because her advice has been driving me crazy these past couple of weeks! I can't think straight anymore!"

"Seriously, Luke, what did she say?"

"Oh, it was terrific advice. Really, you'd think it's funny."

"Luke, I think you need to calm-"

"Fantastic, Rachel. You just really like to screw with me, don't you! Even know you knew I couldn't do anything about it. Even though I told you that we were just friends…uh, I mean, you knew-"

"Are you going to keep ignoring my questions? Because I could buy you a pet rock to rant to. Same effect, my friend." Lorelai sighed. But, Luke, once again, avoided her question, and continued his rant. _I wonder who he's talking about. Who's this 'just friends' person? Was Rachel jealous? Wow, definitely wasn't expecting that. _

"But, you know what, Rachel?" Luke said, his eyes blazing, "It's too late. I lost my chance. I can't do a damn thing about it because she's getting married!" Luke exclaimed, wildly thrusting his hand in Lorelai's direction. It took him a full three seconds to realize where his explosive rant had led him.

_Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. _

Lorelai stared at him with wide eyes as realization set in. Luke instantly felt his cheeks burn with regret and embarrassment.

Did he really just say that? Did he honestly blurt it all out in one sentence? Unconsciously. With absolutely no desire to be honest about his feelings for her. He did set out to be vague about the Rachel thing, right? How the hell did he end up here?

_You are an idiot. _

Maybe he lucked out. Maybe Lorelai had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe Luke was as subtle as he set out to be.

Luke took his eyes off the floor and glanced at Lorelai. But, her blank expression told all. Stunned. Struck mute. She was staring at him, blue eyes almost dark with intensity. Looking him right in the eye. Forehead wrinkled in disbelief.

In the midst of all of Luke's mental chaos, Lorelai had never looked more adorable to him.

"Dammit," Luke cursed under his breath as his eyes nervously darted around the dark diner. She knew. She had to. Why else would she be looking at him like that?

She knew.

And, he needed to get the hell out of there.

"I'm going to bed!" Luke announced gruffly, in unceremonious fashion. Lorelai quickly stood up, nearly tipping the stool over in response. He wasn't exactly sure why that particular phrase popped out. He certainly wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. But, there it was, hanging in the air. He couldn't take it back, just like he couldn't shove the entire Rachel rant back into his mouth.

_Dammit, Rachel! _

"What?" Lorelai squeaked, her tone sounding foreign in his ears.

"I'm going upstairs," he stated, miraculously sounding calm, even though his thoughts were jetting around his head like a crazed Pong game. "You know where the key is?"

"Key?" She asked, eyes shifting around the diner. _She knows. She has to know. Fantastic. Fan-freakin'-tastic _

"Yeah, you know, to, uh, lock up…Yeah, um…do you mind?" _And, now, ladies and gentlemen, let's get back to the amazing feat of nervous stammering, brought to you by Luke Danes not being able to shut his trap! _

"Ummm…no?" Lorelai said with her eyebrows scrunched down so far that they may as well have been attached to her eyelids. Yeah, he got it. She was confused. Of course she was confused. Luke was pretty much baffled himself by the words pouring out of his own mouth.

"So…uh…goodnight?" Lorelai tilted her head to the side, as if she was trying to read his thoughts.

"Oh…Oh! Okay…you're going to bed?"

"Yeah," Luke said, directing his glance at the floor again as he rubbed the back if his neck, " Um, you know…early deliveries." _Could this conversation get any more awkward? _He looked up to see Lorelai nodding furiously.

"Okay…Okay…"

"So…later."

"Right!" she burst out loudly after a long pause. Her voice rang in the empty room, "Um, later," Lorelai finished, making sure that her voice was significantly softer. Luke responded with a short nod then turned his back to her.

_Upstairs, _he repeated to himself. _If you can just get upstairs, you won't have to be in the same room as her. Don't look at her, just head upstairs. _

Lorelai watched as Luke turned his back to her and realized that she needed something. She wasn't sure what, but she knew she needed…something. Or to do something….Yeah, maybe that was it. She wasn't exactly thinking straight after Luke's little outburst. The brain was a little fuzzy. Like cotton balls. Cotton balls are fuzzy…So are bunnies… Oy, with the fuzziness! She was on a mission. She needed something.

Or, needed to do something.

Whatever. It was something. She knew it was something. Gah, it was on the tip of her tongue. But, she just couldn't put a finger on what it was.

Weed? No. She never liked the smell of it anyway.

Vicodin? No. Prozac? Tempting. Dimeatap? Mmm, good stuff.

Booze? Couldn't hurt. Might help her figure out what the hell just happened.

Chocolate? Always a good idea. Mac and Cheese? Only if she had booze. Coffee? Oh yeah, coffee sounded good. Okay, yes, she had coffee right in front of her. But, the logical side of her brain wasn't working right then. For some reason, she couldn't connect the dots between _must have coffee _to _its right in front you, genius. _

Oh boy. Did Luke just imply what she thought he was implying? No, he couldn't be, right? She wasn't the reason why Elle MacPherson walked out of his life…was she? _Oh my God. That's what he said, didn't he? He said, he "couldn't do a damn thing about it because 'she' was getting married." 'She' is me? She could be me. Hmm. Sheme. She is to me as…Gah, I was never very good at those. _

Maybe, she hadn't been imagining things the other night?

_Jeez, how vain are you, Gilmore? I mean, I have always thought that song was about me, for the most part. _

_It can't be me. I mean, ha, there's got to be other women in Luke's life…who he is friends with…who he could potentially have feelings for…who could also be getting married…Okay, maybe not. Gah! _

Maybe she needed a cyanide capsule. Boy, did that sound appealing right now. Her messy situation was certainly enough to warrant it right now.

_Tell him. _

That was it. The 'something.'

That's what she really needed to do. Well, she always knew she was going to tell him eventually. He was her friend, and friends deserve to know the basic things about friends. But, for some reason, she had wanted to wait. That had been her plan when she walked into the diner. Wait.

She just needed to…forget. Even if it was only for that night. But maybe, after his accidental rant and gesture…and implication (if it meant what she thought it meant), that's what she needed to do. Tell him. Tell him tonight. Tell him before he walked up those steps and she lost her nerve.

_Oh boy… Deep breath. _

"Luke," she managed to breathe out quietly. Suddenly, Lorelai felt anxious and found herself playing with her hands. _Why the hell am I nervous about this? I mean, my gosh, I'm probably analyzing what he said a little too much. Right? _

She watched Luke pause before he walked into the storeroom. He placed his hand on the door frame. She heard him sigh.

_He didn't-He couldn't have feelings for me…Could he? _

"What?" he barked, harsher than he had intended. Luke hadn't meant to take his frustrations out on her. Sure, he was pissed at himself. And, sure, he could blame her for his attitude because she had asked a simple question that led to a full-fledged confession. But, it wasn't her fault. No matter how much he wanted to blame her, it wasn't her fault. She didn't ask for this. She's getting married, for goodness sake. She didn't ask for some other man, her _friend_, to basically…fall for her.

_Dammit! _

Lorelai slowly raised her left hand, and noticed that it was shaking. Why was it so hard for her to tell him? Why was she so nervous? When it was at the level of her chest, she took a shaky breath and said, "Look at me."

Luke leaned into his hand on the door frame, and dropped his head to the floor. He wasn't supposed to look at her again tonight. He was just supposed to go upstairs. Going upstairs meant he could try to forget about what just happened. Hopefully, it would be implied that they both would forget about what he had said and never mention it again. He certainly wouldn't bring it up. He couldn't imagine Lorelai would tell _him_. Going upstairs would make things less complicated. Okay, yeah, things were already pretty darn complicated. Less was the key word here.

He was supposed to go upstairs, dammit! He wasn't supposed to look at her again tonight. Especially not when she sounded like that. That tone that already made him want to give in. But, he couldn't. He shouldn't…He really shouldn't.

He was embarrassed. He was angry at himself. He was ashamed. He didn't want her to think any different about him. But, Lord knows, it was probably too late for that.

Luke felt himself turn, a foreign power taking over him. Why did she always have that effect on him?

Jump? How high? Coffee? How much? Dance with me? Why not.

Lorelai's eyes seemed mistier than normal. Her forehead was still creased. She held out her hand in front of her, chest level. The back of her hand was facing him. He could see that she was breathing heavy. She bit her lower lip and looked him straight in the eye.

He wasn't sure what she was doing. Was she trying to tell him something? Why the hell was she holding her hand out like that?

Then, it hit him.

It was her left hand.

"What?" he asked again, only softer. His thoughts ran a hundred miles a minute as he began to process what he was looking at. Her left hand. Her…bare left hand. _No. It can't- She isn't-. _

"Um," she said, trying to force a smile. Now he realized that she was anxious. She brought her right hand and her fingers began to play with something that was no longer existent on her ring finger.

_Her ring finger… _

"Max and I-we, uh…I broke it off…with Max."

_There's no ring on her finger. She broke it off- _

"You, uh," he managed to spout out. Frankly, he was stunned "Why?"

Lorelai sniffed, her eyes watering, "God, more reasons than I thought at the time," she shook her head, "We weren't right. I, uh, didn't feel _it _when he held me. You know, safe, secure…whole…The dress-man, it was beautiful, but it didn't feel right. I didn't feel right. He wasn't right for me, I don't think… I don't think he would've liked living here. It really bugged me that he didn't like you," Luke raised an eyebrow at that, "…It just wasn't right…We didn't make each other better people…I-I didn't lovehim." She knew she was rambling. She needed to stop before she broke down right in front of Luke, sobbing over her relationship failures, rather than actually breaking up with Max.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked after a long pause. He took off his hat and began to unconsciously play with it in his hands.

Leave it to Luke to be so damn sensitive to her needs.

"Oh yeah," Lorelai stated with a small laugh. "It was the right thing to do…It was what I needed to do."

"Okay," he said softly, not able to look her in the eye anymore, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be. I know you didn't like him very much."

"You didn't deserve to be put through that."

"Thanks," she stated, her voice starting to waver. "Are _you_ okay?" she asked when she noticed that he wouldn't look at her anymore.

"Lorelai-" he began, but stopped himself by shaking his head. He shouldn't say that now, no matter how much he wanted to.

_She's not getting married. She broke up with Max. She's…single. _

_Stop it! You would be a complete moron to say anything now. Or try anything. It isn't right. You lost your chance, remember? You've already been through this. _

"Yeah?" Her voice sounded expectant. He was silent for a few more beats.

"…I'm fine."

_You are a coward. _

"Oh…um, I should go then." Lorelai tried to catch his eye again, but he wouldn't stop playing with his hat. _The one I gave him. The one he wears everyday…Oh, God. _"Thanks for the coffee." Luke nodded. "See you tomorrow." He nodded again. Lorelai gave Luke a concerned look, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Luke stated firmly, with a curt nod. Lorelai glanced in his direction one last time, before turning toward the exit.

_Man, I wish I knew what he was thinking. _

As she walked to the door, she hated how her Harvard flip-flops slapped against her heels, reverberating off the walls of the empty diner. She hated how insecure she felt as she told Luke about her break-up. She hated that her news had struck him mute, to the point that he couldn't even look at her. Was she that disgusting? Was the fact that she was bad at relationships a disturbing fact to him? Why the hell did she even care so much? It was just Luke.

Only, it wasn't just Luke. It was _Luke_. The name that was almost an adjective in itself. His distinct _Lukeness_ had been one of the few constants in her life. The one thing about him that she inadvertently allowed herself to trust. It was a scary thought, but Lorelai felt confident in saying that Luke was probably the only man who had always been for her. The only man that had yet to let her down.

Sure, they had their little disagreements. The occasional dispute. The sharp differences in their interests. The frequent arguments over silly little things. The rare fight. But, at the end of the day, Lorelai was positive that he would be there. They would eventually forgive each other or get over it. It was, after all, their _thing_.

It was strange to be thinking their routine as she walked away from Luke. Lorelai figured there were probably a thousand more important things that should be going through her head right now:

The party and the dance and the strange feelings she had pushed aside.

The pro/con list she had made in the dressing room of the wedding boutique.

Luke's reserved behavior.

Her break-up.

Max.

Her pathetic singleness.

The conversations she had with Rory while they were away.

Harvard.

Luke.

Rachel.

Luke's rant.

Luke's reaction to her announcement.

Luke.

But, the only thing going through her head was their stupid little routine. The banter, and the conversations, and the arguments, and the coffee, and, well, the flirting. She liked their routine. It made her comfortable. He always had the ability to put her at ease. She had missed it the past week or so, when their conversations had been a little reserved and strange. She was sad that she and Max had never reached the place that she and Luke had been all along. The friendship place. It was truly unbelievable. A part of her didn't know what she would do without it. Or, what she would do without Luke.

_ "You know, Luke is a really nice man." _

Lorelai sucked in an uneasy breath as she touched the doorknob. She didn't quite understand where this train of thought was heading. But, it was certainly bizarre that she couldn't get Luke out of her head. Or was it?

Just as she was about to turn a knob, Lorelai suddenly felt a hand lightly grasp her waist. She gasped, spooked by the unexpected contact, and whipped around, only to be face-to-face with Luke. Throughout the years, the two of them had their own areas of personal space. Very rarely did they cross these lines. But, there was Luke, with his hand still resting gently on her waist, leaning incredibly close to her.

_Oh, God. _

There was something flashing in his eyes that Lorelai had a hard time placing. Had she ever seen this Luke? When had he ever looked at her like this? Adoration. Desire. Uncertainty. Longing. Hope.

Luke brought his other hand up, and his thumb lightly traced her jaw line. What the hell was going on? Lorelai shuddered. His touch was so nerve-wracking, so intimate, so light, so…_Luke_.

_Luke? Oh right, Luke is a verb now. _

Lorelai tried to think of something to say, but her mind was a complete blank. His hands on her face and waist were just so damn unnerving! Her heart was racing, and she gripped the doorknob behind her, hoping that that would ground her. That it would help her get a grip on this situation.

Luke wasn't quite sure where the jolt of confidence came from, but here he was. It was almost like he was having an out of body experience. Or he was that guy from _Quantum Leap_, where his thoughts were normal, but his body certainly wasn't his own. He knew he was still Luke. He was still Luke in his head. But, his body was completely out of control. His body was not Luke, or even acting Luke-like. Body Luke was holding Lorelai. Body Luke stroking her face, something he never in a million years imagined himself doing. Brain Luke was going bananas! _What are you doing? You're scaring her, you psycho! _

The only thing he remembered thinking as Lorelai walked away was _it's now or never_. And, obviously, that had triggered a reaction from Body Luke.

It's now or never.

_Don't wait too long…to tell her. _

_God, she's beautiful. _

And, then, inexplicably, he heard himself saying that thought out loud, "God, you're beautiful." _Damn it all. _He no longer had any self-control over any part of himself. Had he been in a right state of mind, he would've smacked himself upside the head.

Lorelai looked down as she blushed, not knowing how to respond to him. The fact that he had rendered her speechless was baffling enough. She felt Luke tip her chin up, and now she couldn't help but look into his eyes.

And, now, she saw _it_. What Sookie had said for years. What Miss Patty had coyly hinted at for ages. What Rory had blatantly suggested for awhile now. What she had been trying to deny since they had first met. That feeling. That intense connection. That attraction.

He had it, the za-za-zoo (as Carrie Bradshaw described it). Why wasn't she able to see that before? Why was the fog being lifted now?

She knew she should be thinking about Max and her failed engagement. Wasn't it to soon to be…feeling this way? That is, supposing that she was feeling a special way toward Luke now.

_Oh, God, I am. I am feeling…something. _

Just like they had at the wedding boutique, memories of the engagement party and the dance came flooding back. She had felt good. She had felt comfortable. She had felt safe. She had felt…whole.

All the things she hadn't felt with Max.

_Shit. _

How could Lorelai not see it? How could she be so ignorant? All those years, how could she not see what was right in front of her? Why wasn't she able to listen to and accept reason from Sookie, Rory, and the others? Luke was great. God, he was great. He had always been there. She had been thinking these same things over the past week, and never once had they led her to this place.

It was Luke.

That's why she felt the way. That's why it felt so right during the dance. That's why she felt so right now, in his arms.

How could she not realize that she had been falling for him all along?

Luke's hand was now cupping her face, his breathing erratic. Was he really doing this?

She could feel his breath on her face, and Lorelai felt herself coming unglued. Had he always had this power over her? Had he always been so intimate?

"W-w-what-," she managed to get out as Luke leaned in closer, and Lorelai sucked in a breath of surprise at his boldness. Luke dipped his neck forward and brushed his nose with hers. She gripped the doorknob harder. "What are you doing?" she asked in a breathy whisper.

Luke pulled back and seemed to ponder this for a moment. Sure, he had been asking himself the same thing since he crossed the diner to her and had yet to come up with a coherent answer. All he knew was that he wanted her, and he wanted her now. And, for once, Luke wasn't going to stand on the sidelines. He was going to go after what he wanted. Obstacles be damned.

Fear began to seep into his pores as he realized that he had her pressed against the door. What if she didn't want the same thing? What if he was forcing something on her that she didn't want?

Then, he looked down and noticed that Lorelai's other hand was unconsciously clutching his flannel shirt at his stomach. Holding him there. Keeping him in one place.

Upon this realization, he brushed some of her curls aside and planted a few lingering kisses on her neck. Lorelai moaned, in spite of herself, and she closed her eyes. He slowly kissed up to her jaw and stopped for a moment to catch his breath. The feeling of her soft skin on his lips was overwhelming. Lorelai clenched his shirt harder.

"What am I doing?" he repeated out loud, his voice hoarse. Lorelai opened her eyes to look at him again, feeling her knees almost going slack. She was certainly glad to be pressed against the door now. Luke brought his thumb up and lightly brushed her lower lip. "I'm doing what I should've done five years ago, Lorelai."

Before Luke could do anything else, Lorelai took her hand off the doorknob and wrapped it around his neck, pressing her lips against his. Luke instinctively brought her in closer, wrapping both arms around her. Because she took the first initiative, instigating the first kiss, it signified to Luke that she had wanted this too. He quietly moaned against her lips, in pure astonishment and relief, and tried to fight the smile that was plaguing his lips.

The first kiss was light and cautious, exploring the possibility, tap dancing on that line between friendship and something more. It immediately led into a more confident second kiss, which blended into a third passionate kiss, where Luke's tongue traced her lower lip and she immediately allowed him access. This transitioned into a hungry fourth kiss.

Fifth, sixth, seventh…eventually Lorelai lost count in Luke's embrace. Man, if she had known that kissing Luke would be like this, she would've tried it ages ago.

In each others' arms, everything felt right, just like it had at the dance. Just like it had several times before. And, when Lorelai eventually pulled away and said, "Curiouser and Curiouser," Luke knew exactly what she meant.

Before all this had happened, there was so much potential, so many curiosities. But, now, they had reached this place. They had crossed that line, and things seemed to be in the right place. It was right. Their feelings were right. They were right. They were going to be alright.

Now, the only thing to be curious about was what was to come.

**The End **

* * *

**A/N: And, that's all she wrote...for now at least. I plan on updating my other stories soon. **

**Hey, did you ever wonder about the punctuation in the title of _Murder She Wrote. _I feel like there should be a comma or some bunny ears or something in there. Not sure what made me think about that. Oh, and did you also wonder why anyone would ever invite Jessica Fletcher to a party. I mean, seriously, every where this woman goes, somebody drops dead. I don't know about you, but something is very fishy about that.**

**And, now that I'm done with the random conversation, on with the shameless pleas I promised: Please review! This story has become a personal favorite of mine, and I would really like to know how you all feel about it. Especially since it turned out to be more Luke-centric than I had originally planned. I'm not quite sure how that happened, but ya know, sometimes it's out of your control. **

**So, yeah, I would love to know what you think. Did you love it? Hate it? Wish I had done something different? Would you use words like fabulous, fantastic, wonderful, glorious, fantabulous, or mondo-fabulous to describe it? Or words like eh, unbelievable, dumpster-worthy, rubbish, unfabulous, or cringe-inducing? You decide. If you review, I will reply. I'm not sure if that's an incentive, but give me a tutu, tap shoes, and few flaming batons and I'm pretty entertaining. **

**So, now, I thank you all. And thank you. And thank you. And thank you and you. And thank you. Yeah, that's right, you know who you are, readers and reviewers. Without your support and Christina's patience with me, this story would cease to be. And, it you would really send me to the moon if you reviewed for the last chapter (nudgenudge, winkwink). **

**Thanks again, you guys are like getting Yahtzee! I will be updating my other stories in the NEAR future (yes, even SW2EHWOAC). I even have plans for a new one (go read the description on my main page).**

**Everybody remember to Limbo Dance! **

**Robin**


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